Collection of essays examining the historic and modern trends of health systems in Nigeria in the hope of offering a prescription for a brighter future. Health related topics in African countries tend to be viewed negatively. With HIV infection rates soaring and health sectors ill-equipped to handle the needs of the general population in most sub-Saharan African countries, there seems to be little worth celebrating in terms of health care options for Africans. Historically, Nigeria has fit well into this assessment. The essays in traditional and modern health systems, however, do more than catalogue the failures of the Nigerian health sector. They raise practical issues about how the Nigerian health system can improve - and perhaps is improving - the health outlook for its citizens in the 21st century. Index, 468pp, USA. AFRICA WORLD PRESS.

Every minute a Nigerian man, woman, or child becomes infected with HIV. Soon Nigeria will be home to more people living with HIV than any other country in Africa. With 5 percent of its inhabitants already infected, Nigeria has reached the critical threshold that can catapult rates to nearly 40 percent of a country's population. The full magnitude of Nigeria's epidemic will be determined by its response now. Written by dozens of the country's leading HIV experts, this book explores the dynamics of the epidemic, analyzes prevention efforts, identifies crucial gaps, and formulates effective strategies for controlling the epidemic. Complementing the experts' words are the dramatic portraits of people whose lives have been forever transformed by AIDS. Their stories reveal the human costs of the epidemic, and the courage required to overcome it. 480pp, USA. HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS.