AIDS Becomes Africa's Biggest Killer.

July 13--A few months ago, just 18 years after it was first recognized, AIDS became the leading killer in Africa, surpassing malaria. But the continent's political and religious leaders have been slow to mobilize against the disease.

Now, for the first time, the presidents of Ethiopia and South Africa, and South Africa's former president, Nelson Mandela, are speaking out against AIDS and beefing up prevention efforts. In sub-Saharan Africa, the AIDS virus has infected 34 million people and killed 11.5 million since 1981. Last year, AIDS accounted for 1.8 million deaths in sub-Saharan Africa, compared with 1 million deaths from malaria and 209,000 from tuberculosis.

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