Some 26 million people in Africa are infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS, and 55 percent of them are women, accounting for 80 percent of all women living with the virus.
Some societies face nothing less than an existential challenge.
The gathering was hosted by Jeanette Kagame, wife of Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Although AIDS has been on the agenda of other gatherings of the wives of African leaders, the Kigali meeting is the first dedicated solely to how they can mobilize their resources to fight the disease, according to Sandra Thurman, president of the International AIDS Trust and a former White House adviser on AIDS policy under the Clinton administration. Some African first ladies are controversial figures, accused of corruption and influence-peddling in their countries, but despite this baggage Thurman said they still would be influential allies. The meeting runs through Tuesday and is attended by the first ladies of Burkina Faso, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria and Rwanda. The first ladies of other countries sent representatives.