Thread by @MaxCRoser

1/ A thread on today's #WorldAIDSDay

During the last 20 years the epidemic cost millions of lives especially across Sub-Saharan Africa.
You see the impact the disease had on life expectancy here in this chart.

[source ourworldindata.org/hiv-aids]

2/ At its peak in 2005 and 2006 the epidemic killed 1.95 Million people in a year.
Most between 15 and 49 years old, the working age bracket and the time when many have young children.

3/ Especially the populations of South Africa and Botswana are still very much suffering from HIV/AIDS. In both countries the disease causes 29% of all deaths.

[here is the data for all countries
ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-…]

4/ But as the previous charts already made clear, we now found a way to fight back against the disease. Antiretroviral therapy (ART).

@bdadonaite's post for today shows that without ART the number of deaths would be *twice* as high this year.
ourworldindata.org/art-lives-saved

@bdadonaite 5/ In a new paper Anna Tompsett investigates the impact that ART had on economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.

In her research she suggests the drug against HIV/AIDS explains a *third* of Africa's "growth miracle”.

An ungated version of the paper is here drive.google.com/file/d/0B1k_Ar…