There is no question that the aids epidemic has had a devastating impact on Africa, and particularly in South Africa. A tragedy of unprecedented proportions is unfolding. So far, the aids epidemic in Africa has created several million orphans. Today, the epidemic in Africa has claimed more lives than the sum total of all wars, famines and floods, and the ravages of such deadly diseases as malaria. It is devastating families and communities, overwhelming and depleting health care services; and robbing schools of both students and teachers. Business has suffered, and will continue to suffer, losses of personnel, productivity and profits; economic growth is being undermined and scarce development resources have to be diverted to deal with the consequences of the pandemic. Decades have been chopped from life expectancy and young child mortality is expected to more than double in the most severely affected countries of Africa. aids is clearly a disaster, effectively wiping out the development gains of the past decades and threatens the future.

South Africa has been especially hard hit. Every day in South Africa, its estimated that more than one thousand people are newly infected with hiv. In the face of the grave threat posed by hiv/aids, we have to rise above our differences and combine our efforts to save our people. History will judge us harshly if we fail to do so now, and right now.