HIV/AIDS: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

HIV/AIDS is without doubt the worst epidemic to hit humankind since the Black Death. First identified in 1981, by 2004 it was estimated that about 40 million people were living with the disease, and about 20 million had died. Despite rapid scientific advances, there is still no cure and the
drugs are expensive and often toxic. Because of controversies and taboos surrounding safe drug usage and prostitution, the numbers of people infected continues to rise. However, it is in the developing world and especially parts of Africa that the real catastrophe is unfolding. Life expectancy has
plummeted to below thirty-five years, leading to a serious decline in economic growth, a sharp rise in orphaning, and the imminent collapse of health care systems. The good news is, there have been unprecedented breakthroughs in understanding the diseases and developing drugs. In this eye opening
and hard hitting book, Alan Whiteside uses his professional and personal experience to provide an in-depth look at HIV/AIDS, examining the social issues surrounding the disease, its demographics, and devastating consequences. He offers a global perspective, covering developed and developing
countries, and discusses what steps can be taken medically, politically, and economically, in the hope that one day this disease will be brought under control.