By tracing the shadow of the epidemic over the last 30 years in Uganda and more broadly in the region, HIV and East Africa investigates the impact of the epidemic on peoples lives and livelihoods, placing the epidemic within the context of the social, political and economic changes that have occurred over the last three decades.

Whilst it inevitably touches on loss and suffering, the message is also about managing the impact of an epidemic which has had a profound impact on many lives. When one looks for traces in southern Uganda, once thought to be the epicentre of the epidemic, it is hard to see any lasting impact at a community wide level. Delve deeper and there are scars to be found among families and patterns of change which are a direct result of the epidemic

The book goes on to explore the effect of improved treatment and care on perceptions of the epidemic and concludes by putting HIV into the context of other disease outbreaks, reflecting on what we can learn from the history of other epidemics as well as the last 30 years of the HIV epidemic.