The Conflict

South Africa has the largest number of people in the world living with HIV/AIDS. Several socioeconomic and political issues have prevented the country from mounting an effective AIDS strategy.

Socioeconomic

• Twenty-two million South Africans live in conditions of abject poverty. They are often undernourished and lack basic health needs, such as decent shelter and running water.
• A high rate of migrant labor facilitates the spread of HIV/AIDS.
• The low status of women, and attitudes that condone multiple sex partners for men, make women particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. Fifty-six percent of South Africans living with HIV/AIDS are women.
• South Africa lacks an effective infrastructure through which to deliver health services to its indigent population and lacks the financial resources to pay for expensive AIDS drugs.

Political

• AIDS emerged as a serious...