This book breaks new ground in its approach to HIV/AIDS by addressing issues directly relevant to prevention planning.

Douglas Webb traces the complex relations between the virus, the movement of peoples, and traditional sexual behaviour, examining the spread of HIV in the context of ‘development’ and political and structural change in southern Africa, where the HIV pandemic has reached catastrophic proportions.

Focusing on the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in southern Africa, Douglas Webb demonstrates that an understanding of precisely how the HIV virus moves socially is crucial for planning appropriate prevention. Through this detailed analysis of the movement of the virus at local and regional level, Webb makes available techniques and conceptual models which allow researchers and policy makers to understand the epidemic and to respond effectively.