Prevention programs can play a significant role in reducing the rate of HIV infections, a new study conducted in Uganda shows. The study, published in the Lancet (July 6, 2002;360;9326:41-46), was conducted between 1990 and 1999 in 15 neighboring villages in Uganda. It found that HIV incidence was 37 percent lower in the second half of the decade than in the first half. Between 1990 and 1999, the rate of HIV prevalence fell significantly, especially for high-risk groups such as men ages 20 to 24 and women ages 13 to 24.

According to the study, the overall rate of adult HIV prevalence in Uganda dropped to 5 percent at the end of last year, from 8.3 percent in 1999. Uganda's apparent secret: A mass government-led education campaign that has embraced all kinds of organizations at virtually every level of society. Health workers there routinely screen blood donations, and the government, under a special program with the private sector, makes condoms available for as little as 10 cents apiece. The education program also encourages people to limit the number of sexual partners and otherwise change high-risk sexual behavior.

Programs similar to Uganda's are helping other countries make headway against the epidemic. According to UNAIDS, Zambia could become the second African country to curtail the spread of AIDS: HIV prevalence there among young women living in cities fell to 24 percent in 1999 from 28 percent in 1996. Among young rural Zambian women, the figure dropped to 12 percent from 16 percent in the same period.

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