The author's use of the word 'deserve' is perhaps unfortunate, if taken to mean the people rather than the leaders. In her book, she is certainly scathing about

The author's use of the word 'deserve' is perhaps unfortunate, if taken to mean the people rather than the leaders. In her book, she is certainly scathing about the leadership of southern African countries, and particularly South Africa itself. "You don't need to dream up complex economic formulae to explain why HIV prevention in Africa is failing. Look at the leadership. HIV would fall if fewer people had several sex partners at once, and if there were less intergenerational sex. But in Swaziland, which tops the world charts in terms of HIV prevalence, the thirty-eight-year-old king marries his thirteenth bride in 2007, after she became pregnant. His new wife is younger than his eldest daughter. Look at the leadership on condoms. Men certainly won't use them to prevent AIDS if they think they don't work, or believe condoms cause AIDS. South Africa's leader* conceded that condoms stop HIV, but since he hasn't conceded that HIV causes AIDS, condoms are worthless against AIDS. Kenya's religious leaders have burned condoms in public. In Mozambique and Zimbabwe, opinion leaders have spoken on the radio about how white people were pushing condoms laced with AIDS to wipe out Africans. When bishops, presidents and the media poke holes in condoms, they become ineffective". In contrast, she heaps praise on the leadership of countries like Uganda and Senegal, who acknowledged their cultural traits and encouraged open discussion and practical advice on risk reduction, successfully tackling the health problem. *(Thabo Mbeki)