LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: AIDS Analysis Africa (AAA) has a long history and has been through several formats and custodians over the years, although its mandate to provide well-researched in-depth information about the impact of the HIV epidemic in southern Africa has never wavered. It began life in 1990 as a 12-page printed journal which was distributed to interested parties in the non-profit, scientific, public and private sector by a London-based newspaper. In 1997, as large corporates in southern Africa were becoming aware of the impact of AIDS-related mortality in the workplace, Metropolitan Holdings, a financial services provider, took over responsibility for the publication... read more...

FEATURED ARTICLE: Highlights of the AAAO archives. By Linda Scott. The AAAO archived newsletters, starting in 2004 through to the present, provide a fascinating record of a country grappling with a rapidly escalating epidemic and all the foreseen as well as unforeseen socio-economic consequences. The trend in antenatal statistics tells the stark story of the HIV pandemic in South Africa. In 1990 0.8% of pregnant women were HIV-positive; by 1995 this had reached 10.4% and then more than doubled to 24.5% by 2000. In 2005 it hit 30.2% and continues to hover around this unacceptably high percentage.... read more...