The HIV/aids disease is killing millions of people and is damaging Africa's social structures, economies and the development prospects. In 2001 more than 18 million people have died since the disease first broke out. HIV and AIDS are diseases that are hurting the world's largest continent and destroying any development prospects for Africa. Many of the problems arising from the disease are that life expectancies are declining quickly, skilled workers are dying, and the population is decreasing.

Life expectancies are declining not by months or years, yet by decades. Before there had been an explosion in Southern and Central Africa within population but now that the diseases have hit the area it has brought an end to that explosion. For example, South Africa's life expectance is predicted to drop from 60 to 35 years between 2000 and 2010. Botswana is predicted to decline to about 29 years. This will be by far the lowest...