The history of the HIV and AIDS epidemic began in illness, fear and death. The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first recognized in 1981, although the earliest documented case of HIV infection has been traced to a blood sample from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1959. Tuberculosis has been known to mankind since ancient times. Earlier this disease has been called by numerous names including consumption (because of the severe weight loss and the way the infection appeared to “consume” the patient), phthisis pulmonary’s and the white plague (because of the extreme pallor seen among those infected). Even today after the development of advanced screening, diagnostic and treatment methods for the disease, a third of the world’s population has been exposed and is infected with the organism. The numbers are over 90% in the developing world. The tubercle bacilli was demonstrated by Robert Koch in 1882.

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