Paper submitted to a Special Edition of AIDS. 20/04/07 Running Head: Economic Impact of Adult Mortality

At the end of 2003, 5.3 million people were estimated to be living with HIV in South Africa, the highest number of any country in the world. Further, HIV prevalence among adults 15-49 years of age in South Africa is estimated at 21.5%, compared to 7.5 % in sub-Saharan Africa and 1.1 % globally. As the epidemic moves from infection int