3 JANUARY 2004, Page 23

How bad is Africa's Aids?

From Hugh Russell Sir: In 'Africa isn't dying of Aids' (13/20 December), Rian Malan pours scorn on my piece 'Aids: It's worse than you imagined' (1 March), and I hope to God he's right and that the situation has been overstated. In particular he rubbishes my thoughts on Botswana, incidentally betraying a touching faith in statistics issued by African governments. In the same issue as his article appeared, your leader informed us that in Botswana, which is one of the most prosperous and stable nations in the region, the life expectancy for a man is 36. Perhaps Rian Malan would do well to ask himself why.

Hugh Russell

Lusaka, Zambia