Death in Malawi
HIV, lower respiratory infections, and malaria are the three leading causes of death. AIDS alone kills eight Malawians every hour the primary cause of death among adults in Malawi, and a major factor in the country's low life expectancy of just 43 years. HIV is still a taboo subject in many communities within Malawi, and discrimination is common. As a result, few people living with HIV make their status known, many have difficulty discussing the subject with their families, and some support groups do not meet openly. The man whose funeral I attended, at the request of the hospital gatekeeper, may or may not have died from AIDS; it didn't seem appropriate for me to ask.
