March, 2003 - AIDS vaccine disappointment

The first mass trial of an anti-HIV vaccine has essentially failed despite the involvement of over 5,000 volunteers in North Amrica, Puerto Rico and the Netherlands over a 3 year period.

One French expert called the outcome a disappointment, but, for scientists, not a surprise.

African AIDS orphans

The World Food Organisation has accused the world of turning its back on over 11 million African AIDS orphans. In particular, the world had yet to realise the disaster that Mozambique has over 2 and a half million orphans..who've yet to learn how to farm to live.

Zimbabwe which has three quarters of a million such orphans face hunger because agricultural production will be down to one-third of its 10 year average.

In Malawi 10 percent of families are headed by a child while half are headed by a person over the age of 65.

Zambia has lost 2,000 teachers to AIDS.

In Uganda an encouraging sign..some 35 Anglican church leaders from across Africa have joined to work against stigma and to encourage home -based AIDS care.

Global Population slump

As an indication of the pandemic's impact, the United Nations has sharply revised its world population projection....now saying that by 2050 the world's population will be 8.9 billion, down 400 million on its Year 2000 forecast.

278 million more people are expected to die of AIDS by 2050.