Baltimore Sun Examines Growing Death Industry in Malawi Due to Poverty, HIV/AIDS
The Baltimore Sun on Sunday examined Malawi's coffin business, which is part of the country's growing death industry fueled by "the toxic brew" of poverty and diseases, namely HIV/AIDS. The life expectancy in Malawi has fallen from 41 years in the early 1970s to less than 38 years, in large part because of the number of HIV/AIDS-related deaths. Despite the high HIV/AIDS prevalence in the area, the disease is still surrounded by stigma, which "keeps family members of the dead from ever uttering the word while buying coffins," according to the Sun (Calvert, Baltimore Sun, 3/20). The complete article is available online.
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