AIDS is set to put the Black Death in the shade as the worst pandemic in
history.
In the 14th century, the Black Death swept through Europe and Asia, killing
about 40 million people. Now, nearly 700 years later, history is repeating
itself. HIV will have claimed 65 million lives by the end of the decade,
according to reports in this week’s British Medical Journal (vol 324, p
207).
Although malaria and tuberculosis currently affect more people than HIV, they
have less of a social and economic impact than AIDS, says Peter Lamptey of the
Family Health International AIDS…
