(Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) A condition which makes the body more susceptible to infections that a healthy person would be able to fight off.
‘In order to develop AIDS an individual first has to be carrying the HIV virus. But not everyone who is HIV positive will develop AIDS and the use of antiretroviral drugs has significantly extended life expectancy for people who are HIV positive. An estimated 34 million people were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS as of 2011, 30 million of these live in low- and middle-income countries. Sub-Saharan Africa (particularly southern and eastern Africa) has been worst affected globally by the epidemic to date. An estimated 15 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is over a quarter of the total numbers of orphaned children in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, HIV prevalence is declining or has stabilized in many African countries, and the number of people acquiring new HIV infections in 2011 was 25% lower than in 2001.’ (R. Evans (2013), RGS).
Moran (2005) Euras. Geog. & Econs. 46, 7, 525 offers some explanations for the distribution of prevalence rates in Russia and considers the potential regional impacts of the epidemic.
http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Schools/School+Members+Area/Ask+the+experts/HIV+and+AIDS.htm Royal Geographical Society website pages on HIV/AIDS.