Library Journal Reviews The African AIDS Epidemic: A History

Rebecca Raszewski, Drexel Univ.

In a letter addressed to world leaders in April 2000, South African President Thabo Mbeki wanted to know why Africa has suffered so severely from the AIDS epidemic. Iliffe (modern history, Univ. of Cambridge; Africans: The History of a Continent) attempts to answer his question by providing readers with a historical perspective on AIDS. He traces its origins and spread across Africa and discusses the negative and positive aspects of its management. Iliffe attributes the severity of the situation to the fact that the African continent suffered the first AIDS epidemic and that the disease was already widespread in the general population before its discovery. In a number of fascinating chapters, he describes the personal and social components of HIV/AIDS in Africa–e.g., particular societal groupswere blamed for causing the disease, infected persons were ostracized, and death from the disease stigmatized family members and African society as a whole. Extensive notes from primarily medical resources and a reading list are provided for each chapter. An appropriate resource for patrons interested in researching the evolution of AIDS in Africa, this scholarly book is recommended for academic libraries.

Library Journal
March 15, 2006