South Africa has the largest HIV/AIDS population in the world and one of the fastest growing epidemics, with one in four women between the ages of 20 and 29 already infected with the virus. However, for the first time there are signs that HIV incidence '€“ the annual number of new infections - may have stabilised in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. JO STEIN reports.

The past 11 months have seen HIV/AIDS assume the spotlight in South Africa as never before. However, despite all the meetings, protests and discussions, people have continued to die from AIDS-related symptoms and the numbers of AIDS orphans and HIV positive babies have continued to climb. In this article, we take a month by month look at AIDS in South Africa in 2000.