Pain in Hiv/a Ids a Major Global Healthc Are Problem

Already pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa, HIV/AIDS is Africa's worst social d i sas ter s ince s lavery . Sub-Saharan Afr ica conta ins 10% of the wor ld ' s populat ion, generates 1% of the world's income, and is home to nearly 70% of the world's patients with HIV/AIDS. Without the AIDS virus, l i fe expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa would be 70 years; with it , i t has decl ined below 30 years . The prevalence of HIV/AIDS is rapidly ris ing in Asia (e.g. , India and China) and Eastern Europe (including Russia and other nations of the former Soviet Union). Over 12 bi l l ion USD wil l be needed to effect ively f ight AIDS in developing countries alone by 2005, and 20 bil l ion in 2007, but current annual spending fal ls wel l below half these values.