Aids first came to notice as a mystery disease that had destroyed the immune system of a handful of gay American men. Just 25 years later, it is the world’s leading cause of premature death among both men and women aged between 15 and 59. Measured by the long-term threats to the survival and wellbeing of people worldwide, this pandemic is now one of the make-or-break forces of this century, not simply a public health crisis.
With more than 25m people killed, 40m more infected with HIV, and 15m children orphaned, the pandemic has already caused the single greatest reversal to human development ever recorded.
