TIGblogs - Mohammad Ziaul Ahsan

Most people with HIV are adults from 20 to 40 years of age . This means people are dying at an age when they are vital members of their communities. Illness and death at these ages affect the strength and productivity of a community. In most places, women anmd men between the ages of 20 and 40 take care of their own children and sometimes even their parents, grandparents, or grandchildren. When these men and women die, children and elderly are often left witout support. It is predicted that by the year 2000, there will be 5 million orphans worldwide because of AIDS. In most countries there are not enough orphanges to support all of chidren whose parents die from AIDS. This is just one way AIDS changes families and communities.

The spread of HIV has also changed health care. More hospital beds are needed for people who are sick with AIDS. Because hospitals and clinics are so busy, less attention can be given to everyone who is sick. In one african country , three top officals of the ministry of health died of AIDS in one year. There was no one in the country who could replace them. This affected the health of the entire country.