For two weeks now, we've been travelling through Mozambique, following AIDS and its trail of devastation - tracks carved so deep they cannot be avoided. No longer just a disease in these parts, it has now become a fate, forcing an entire population into its clutches: with few exceptions, people don't die of old age any more in Mozambique. It is a marvel to see those who do survive AIDS: stunning pictures of health, they're back in the fields, at the office, at school. By the thousands, they're like a generation emerging from the ashes, but, cruel twist of fate: only free access to medicine can ensure their survival. Lack of medication means certain death. The disease continues to prey on the population, keeping to the shadows until symptoms appear - or are announced through early testing - devouring both flesh and soul, through the myriad manifestations of this horrible disease.
Our only hope is that, one day, the goal of universal access to treatment will be reached. In the meantime, until then, the clear fate of millions remains on hold.