AIDS in Africa: dynamics and diversity of impacts and response

Women and girls continue to be disproportionally affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in sub-Saharan Africa. By 1996 – the mid-point of the history of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) – major changes were underway, as academics and politicians began to take on board the multisectoral, developmental dimensions of the burgeoning AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. A good survey of the diversity of AIDS epidemics in Africa is offered by John Illife in his seminal work entitled, ’A history of the African AIDS epidemic‘. To understand people’s responses to the reality of having to live with AIDS in their communities and families, to help them mitigate the impacts of AIDS and curb the spread of HIV infection, one has to pay attention to their perceptions of its causes and the meanings they attach to it. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.