AIDs and Development How has the AIDs epidemic spread over time? - Where has it spread to? - How is it being spread? - Is the distribution related to development?

Where did HIV/AIDs come from? It is now thought that HIV originated as a virus in African Chimpanzees, and spread to humans through a bite, or by hunters eating infected chimpanzee meat

The earliest samples were from: A blood sample taken in 1959 from an adult male living in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. HIV found in tissue samples from an American teenager who died in St. Louis in 1969. HIV found in tissue samples from a Norwegian sailor who died around 1976

A blood sample taken in 1959 from an adult male living in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

HIV found in tissue samples from an American teenager who died in St. Louis in 1969.

HIV found in tissue samples from a Norwegian sailor who died around 1976

Where did they first diagnose AIDs? The disease was first called GRID (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency) - were identified in several young, homosexual men, in the USA in 1981 Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) - a rare form of pneumonia - Kaposi’s Sarcoma - a rare form of cancer and

So what do you think was a big misconception about HIV/AIDs, especially early on in the disease’s history? Do you think this misconception stalled the spread of the epidemic?

Pattern 1 Countries - Spread most in the late 1970s, mainly among homosexual, bisexual and intravenous drug users. Heterosexual spread is slowly increasing Pattern 2 Countries - Spread quickly from late 1970s - today, mainly by heterosexual contact and from mothers to babies Pattern 3 Countries - Spread from late 1980s - today, mainly by travellers and imported infected blood products

Increases in HIV infection amoung young people from 1996 – 2001