Product Description

HIV/AIDS is without doubt the worst epidemic to hit humankind since the Black Death. The first case was 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 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. In some of the worst affected countries life expectancy has plummeted to below 35 years, which has led to a serious decline in economic growth, a sharp rise in orphaning, and the imminent collapse of health care systems. The news is not all bleak though. There have been unprecedented breakthroughs in understanding diseases and developing drugs. Because the disease is so closely linked to sexual activity and drug use, the need to understand and change behaviour has caused us to reassess what it means to be human and how we should operate in the globalising world. This Very Short Introduction provides an introduction to the disease, tackling the science, the international and local politics, the fascinating demographics, and the devastating consequences of the disease, and explores how we have -- and must -- respond.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39895 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Review
Packed with statistics and handy explanations of science.

It won't make you an expert. But you'll know what you're talking about and you'll have a better idea of all the work we still have to do to wrestle this monster to the ground. (Aids-free world website. )

An essential read... Readers will gain understanding of the medical, social, political and ethical issues involved in this tragic epidemic. (AIDSportal Website )

About the Author
Alan Whiteside is Professor of Health Economics and HIV/AIDS and Director of the Research Division, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

He has been involved with the disease for over 30 years, and has followed its effects on both the economic and the personal level (having seen several colleagues die of AIDS). In 2003 he was appointed by Kofi Annan to the HIV AIDS and Governance Commission, and has been an elected member of the Governing Council International AIDS Society since 2000.

Customer Reviews

Does Exactly What It Says On The Tin
A good little book, delivers exactly what it promises and gives a good overview of the central issues surrounding HIV/AIDs and global responses to it.

Its got the numbers, the science and the human cost of the disease, and it's well written and easy to understand (even for someone like me with only GCSE biology knowledge). I'd definitely recommend it for someone doing school work on the disease or someone that just wants to improve their general knowledge and be able to discuss HIV/AIDs confidently. I'm going to order the other book by this author on this topic, and I hope it's as good as this one!

fantastic overview of the pandemic
ideal to get your introduction to the pandemic: it's an essential introduction and then buy the main book by the author too.