South Africa’s Aids epidemic, one of the largest in the world, shows no sign of relenting, while infection levels continue to drop in Uganda and now also in parts of Kenya and Zimbabwe, according the UNAIDS Aids Epidemic Update. Released this week, the annual UNAIDS Aids Epidemic Update continues to paint a bleak picture of an epidemic that this year alone claimed three million lives of which 570 000 were children. The total number of people living with HIV worldwide reached its highest level – an estimated 40,3 million people are now living with HIV while close to five million were newly infected with the virus this year.