Why is AIDS such a big factor in Africa?

AIDS: orphans

There is 12 million orphans in Africa because they lost there parents to AIDS. The biggest problem what Aids is in Zimbabwe. In 2000 the USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) saw there was over 1.2 MILLION orphans because they lost one of both parents. Most of the time the kids end up going into extreme poverty. These orphans are straining the traditional extended family.

In South Africa, a relatively wealthy African nation, President Thabo Mbeki had long denied AIDS resulting from HIV. Only through public outrage and international pressure was he forced to admit that there is a problem. Senegal has been a success story when it comes to fighting HIV/AIDS. Reasons are many, including that problems were recognized early. People started to research how to prevent it.

Between the years 1999 and 2000 more people died from aids than all the wars on the continent. In 2000 24 million Africans were infected with the virus. Each day 6000 Africans die each day from Aids. 80% of cases end up as death. This is a huge problem facing Africa.