AIDS/Other Diseases Sub-Saharan Africa

Cholera Inadequate sanitation and lack of a clean water supply can lead to cholera – an infection that is often fatal if not treated In 2000-2001, widespread flooding caused some cases of cholera in Mozambique, but international relief efforts prevented a widespread outbreak

Malaria Mosquitos carrying malaria – an infectious disease marked by chills and fevers that is often fatal – are common in African countries The disease has become resistant to standard drugs because of overuse of those drugs in treating the disease during the past several decades

AIDS AIDS – acquired immune deficiency syndrome HIV – human immunodeficiency virus AIDS is often accompanied by tuberculosis – a respiratory infection spread between humans 70% of the world’s adult AIDS cases and 80% of the world’s children with AIDS are in African nations

AIDS In 2000, AIDS took the lives of 3 million people worldwide, and of that 3 million, 2.4 million lived in sub-Saharan Africa In 2000, nearly 26 million people in Africa were living with either HIV or AIDS It is estimated that 2/3 of HIV/AIDS cases reported globally are in Africa The 21 countries worldwide with the highest HIV prevalence are in Africa

Economic Impact of AIDS People who are sick work less or not at all, earn less, and thus are pushed further into poverty AIDS patients’ medical care is expensive UNAIDS – program that studies the world’s AIDS epidemic UNAIDS estimates that $4.63 billion will be needed to fight AIDS in Africa

Nations Respond To fight malaria and other insect-borne diseases, African nations have used spraying programs since the 1930s to reduce insects Some African countries, such as Gabon, are fighting disease by improving their health care systems