How do wealthier Africans (elites) feel about the AIDS crisis? Do they feel in any way obligated to help?
In the recent past it would seem to AIDS watchers that African elites (business and political) were not visibly active in the fight against the disease in Africa and worldwide. To a large extent that is a pretty fair accusation. Few people imagined that the epidemic would so sorely affect Africa. According to latest figures, 80% of all AIDS patients live in Africa. In Zimbabwe, which with Botswana has the highest incidence of Aids, life expectancy is likely to fall from 61 to 39 by the year 2010 because of Aids. One in four people in the country is HIV positive. The situation is so bad that in a recently released British government study, it predicted that that if left unchecked, the epidemic will result in the disintegration of a significant number of Southern and Eastern African countries. We also know from the experience of these countries that AIDS is definitely not a disease of the poor. Wealthy Africans are just as affected by the epidemic as less-to-do Africans. Most African eli
