Too little too late: responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa

The latest UNAIDS report (2006) on the global AIDS pandemic states that while there has been progress in tackling AIDS, the epidemic continues to outpace responses. Almost a quarter of a century after the disease was first identified, AIDS remains an exceptional threat. Recent data estimate that in 2006 there were 39.5 million people living with HIV globally. In the same period 4.3 million people were newly infected with HIV while 2.9 million died of AIDS (UNAIDS, 2006, p. 1). Over the last two years the number of people living with HIV has increased in every global region. HIV/AIDS is now acknowledged as 'one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history' (UNAIDS, 2005, p. 2). This article explores the responses to the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa and discusses future challenges in the fight against this disease