This course gives a historical overview of the HIV Pandemic. The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) pandemic was one of the key international health and demographic events of the late 20th century. When AIDS first appeared in 1980-1981, few would have predicted the worldwide burden of disease, death, and orphan-hood it would precipitate by the turn of the millennium, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV/AIDS has become a major political issue, both nationally and globally, that challenges government decision making and the medical establishment’s authority about healthcare research and delivery.
