Health and medicine in the world, 1940 to the present

In 1981, medical scientists discovered a highly contagious, heretofore unknown disease that was striking down large numbers of sexually active young adult men and women: it was called AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). Later it was decided that this new-found presence was spread by a virus termed HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). No less disturbing was the finding that certain pathogens – such as those of tuberculosis and malaria – were in the process of mutating to become immune to the drugs that scientists had earlier devised to kill them off.