Demography and economics of HIV/AIDS
Whiteside, A.
British Medical Bulletin 58: 73-88
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0007-1420 PMID: 11714625 DOI: 10.1093/bmb/58.1.73Document Number: 245054
The rapid spread of HIV in the 1980s and 1990s in the non-industrialised world is now leading to an AIDS epidemic. This in turn is having a demographic and economic impact on these societies. This article assesses the most recent evidence for these impacts. It concludes that, while there is already a real and measurable impact, there is far worse to come. The demographic consequences will be particularly serious. Economic impact is rather more uncertain, and the article looks at the macro-economic impact as well as that on firms. In addition, it is postulated that economics may not be the most appropriate discipline to assess the true effects of the disease.