the potential of these already fragile economies to produce allocate distribute and regenerate is significantly compromised in the presence of hivaids the literature and the experience of other countries which have previously walked this path paint a very grim picture for the caribbean not only do high prevalence rates hurt the economy but economic stagnation provides an ideal breeding ground for the spread of the disease research into the effects of hiv aids reveals that its impact in terms of its social human and economic costs is perhaps much more significant than previously thought bell et al