| Abstract: | In its June 1998 report on the global AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS noted that HIV has more than doubled the adult mortality rate in some countries and is the leading cause of death in many countries in East Africa. Over 80% of AIDS deaths have occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa, there are an estimated 2.9 million HIV-positive persons, 700,000 of whom were infected in 1997 alone. In Botswana, 25% of adults are HIV-positive. Encouraging, however, are indications that HIV infection rates among younger people are falling in Uganda and Tanzania in response to active AIDS prevention programs. Even in countries where expensive antiretroviral therapies are not feasible, increased access to HIV testing and counseling can promote risk-reduction behaviors. |
