According to a recent UN report, more women are now infected with HIV/Aids than men and more than 40 million people, globally are now living with the disease. Around the world, 5m people were newly infected with the virus in the past year and almost 25% of these were children under the age of 15.

Southern Africa remains at the epicentre of the Aids disaster: an estimated 30% of the adult population in four countries – Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zimbabwe are infected with HIV/AIDS. The UNAids states: “In four southern African countries, national adult HIV prevalence has risen higher than thought possible. The food crises faced in three of these are linked to the toll of their longstanding HIV/Aids epidemics, especially on the lives of young, productive adults.” The report, entitled Aids Epidemic Update 2002, warns that worse is still to come.

Officials have also warned of major epidemics in Eastern Europe, China and India unless action is taken to tackle the disease.

However, among the growing tally of HIV infections, there have been some success stories – in Brazil, for example, where prevention programmes have had a massive impact, and in African countries such as Ethiopia and South Africa.