AIDS epidemics continue to threaten the livelihoods of millions of people in sub‎-Saharan Africa‎.‎ Three decades after the disease was first recognized‎,‎ the annual death toll from AIDS exceeds that from wars‎,‎ famine and floods combined‎.‎ Yet despite millions of dollars of aid and research‎,‎ there has previously been little detailed on‎-the‎-ground analysis of the multifaceted impacts on rural people‎.‎ Filling that gap‎,‎ this book brings together recent evidence of AIDS impacts on rural households‎,‎ livelihoods‎,‎ and agricultural practice in sub‎-Saharan Africa‎.‎ There is particular emphasis on the role of women in affected households‎,‎ and on the situation of children‎.‎ The book is unique in presenting micro‎-level information collected by original empirical research in a range of African countries‎,‎ and showing how well‎-grounded conclusions on trends‎,‎ impacts and local responses can be applied to the design of HIV‎-responsive policies and programmes‎.‎ AIDS impacts are more diverse than we previously thought‎,‎ and local responses more varied ‎- sometimes innovative‎,‎ sometimes desperate‎.‎ The book represents a major contribution to our understanding of the impacts of AIDS in the epidemic‎'‎s heartland‎,‎ and how these can be managed at different levels‎.‎