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.