Dr. Hans Rosling, formerly a physician, co-founder of Doctors Without Borders Sweden, and professor at Karolinska Institut in Stockholm, now spends most of his time dispelling common myths about the developing world, and does so through the use of Gapminder, fantastic software he developed to better illustrate trends in data sets.

In this TED Talk, from February 2009 at Longbeach, California, Rosling:

unveils new data visuals that untangle the complex risk factors of one of the world’s deadliest (and most misunderstood) diseases: HIV. He argues that preventing transmissions — not drug treatments — is the key to ending the epidemic.

What really grabbed my attention was the ease with which he dispels the notion that there is “one” Africa and that things go on in one way in Africa, going further to say that “we have to stop that – it’s not respectful and it’s not very clever to think that way.”

Brilliant presentation.

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