“Mozambican men and women: We are dying!” It was with these direct and clear words that, in his 2006 end of year message, the President of the Republic, Armando Emílio Guebuza, once again issued a warning to the nation, about the deadly HIV and AIDS pandemic, which now has reached the level of a true national emergency.

Despite the reinvigorated efforts by the government, civil society organisations, the private sector, and international partners, including the United Nations System, the number of people who become infected every day remains extremely high – there are an estimated 500 new adult HIV infections every 24 hours.

The national HIV prevalence rate has risen from 13.3% in 2002 to 16.3% in 2004 among those aged between 15 and 49 years. This means that the pandemic is striking at the most economically active age group of the population, with tragic economic, social and cultural consequences for the development and viability of Mozambique as a nation.

While HIV prevalence rates are generally high in all three regions (north, centre and south) of the country, it is the central region, covering the provinces of Sofala, Manica, Tete and Zambézia, which is the most severely infected and affected, with an average rate of 20.4%, compared with 18.1% in the southern provinces, and 9.3% on the north.

It is under this scenario that the current report makes an indepth analysis of the HIV and AIDS phenomenon in Mozambique and its effects on the various dimensions of human development, including the capacity of people to lead long and healthy lives, to enjoy access to knowledge, and to maintain a decent living standard.