AIDS: A Darwinian Event?

From:: Department for International Development
Published: 1 January 2006

Document Type:: Book Chapter
Theme:: Health
Authors:: de Waal, A., Whiteside, A.

Abstract

The authors discuss the HIV/AIDS pandemic as a 'Darwinian event'. After describing the analytical framework to be used, they discuss the pandemic, its demographic effects and the possible evolution of humans and the virus as the pandemic continues, and also the effects of and effects on 'memes' of human behaviour. They argue that the pandemic does indeed fit their definition of a 'Darwinian event' because of its demographic, social and economic consequences, and argue that AIDS is an event of historic significance in which people from other disciplines such as history should take an interest. [The publication of which this chapter is part is an online English-language version of the French-language book 'L'épidémie du SIDA en Afrique subsaharienne. Regards historiens', published in 2006 by Bruylant-Academia, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium, and Karthala, Paris, France; collection 'Espace Afrique' no. 6.]

Citation

In: The HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa in a historical perspective (online edition) (pp. 57-72 ), edited by P. Denis and C. Becher, and put online by the Réseau Sénégalais "Droit, Ethique, Santé", Senegal.