AIDS is responsible for more than two million deaths each year in sub–Saharan Africa, a figure ten times greater than the number of lives lost to war within the same region. Even more alarming is the fact that HIV prevalence rates in Africa continue to accelerate. It is anticipated that life expectancy in the African countries hardest hit by the epidemic will drop to age thirty within the next decade.

Download Africa Now! Report This report summarizes key findings from “Africa Now!", and reflects discussions and initiatives that occurred at the summit and further deliberations that have occurred within the Harvard community and the international community regarding efforts to address the catastrophic HIV and AIDS epidemic in sub–Saharan Africa. *Please note this report is a PDF. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.

Many sub–Saharan African countries are only beginning to see the impact of these high levels of HIV prevalence. AIDS has reduced the number of economically active adults, leaving few to support the remaining population. Because AIDS takes the lives of people in their most productive years, the demographics of many countries are being altered. As a result, a new population of impoverished orphans has emerged.

In response to this crisis, the Africa Now! summit was organized to build alliances among African and United States leaders. Africa Now! marked the first time that key African leaders have met in the United States with such a diverse group of experts to forge a stronger agenda on AIDS in Africa.

The Africa Now! summit had four goals:

• To initiate dialogue among international leaders about the United States’s role in addressing AIDS in Africa by comparing existing U.S. efforts with a survey of African priorities
  
  
• To further advance the efforts underway by agencies such as the United Nations and the United States government
  
  
• To create a framework document entitled “Principles of Collaboration when Confronting AIDS in Africa,” complementing the UN’s International Partnership Against AIDS in Africa
  
  
• To formalize a post-summit campaign to help address AIDS in Africa and to document the summit’s findings

Africa Now! was structured as a forum fostering an open atmosphere conducive to exchanging information. The chair introduced topics and roundtable discussions followed. Participants had opportunity to identify how we can shift from raising awareness about AIDS in Africa to create viable solutions now!

The invited participants included prominent United States and African leaders, government and community leaders, and members of academia. Also involved in the meeting were leaders from private corporations, philanthropic foundations, and multilateral institutions.