Southern Africa: AIDS - Fighting Back

The Economist this week examines the HIV/AIDS epidemic in southern Africa, specifically in Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa. Botswana has the distinction of being among Africa's richest nations, with a stable democracy and little corruption. However, the country also has the highest HIV adult prevalence rate in the world at 38.5%. According to the Economist, Botswana's mining industry is the key to both its prosperity and its high HIV prevalence. The gold and diamond trade has bolstered the nation's economy, but the single-sex communal living conditions of the miners -- where alcohol and prostitution are frequent diversions -- have contributed to the spread of the virus. In addition, the miners, who are often migrant workers, can transmit the virus to their wives or girlfriends when they return home.