Putting It Together: AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals
2006

AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Robert Hecht, Anita Alban, Kate Taylor, Sarah Post, Nina B. Andersen, Ryan Schwarz

Primary Institution: International AIDS Vaccine Initiative

Hypothesis

How does HIV/AIDS impact the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals?

Conclusion

Failure to address the AIDS epidemic will hinder progress on various Millennium Development Goals.

Supporting Evidence

  • HIV/AIDS is a major threat to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
  • AIDS negatively impacts economic growth and increases poverty.
  • Children orphaned by AIDS are less likely to receive adequate nutrition.
  • AIDS contributes to higher child mortality rates in high-prevalence areas.
  • Maternal mortality is significantly higher among HIV-positive women.

Takeaway

AIDS makes it really hard for countries to reach important goals like reducing poverty and improving health because it affects so many people.

Methodology

The study reviews literature on the impact of AIDS on selected MDGs and explores the links between fighting AIDS and improving other development outcomes.

Limitations

The analysis does not capture all interactions among development outcome measures and is unidirectional.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pmed.0030455

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