ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates how security threats impact the ability of Africa's weak states to fight human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It argues that both traditional and human security theorists have overlooked the role of a state's leadership, institutions, and decision-making processes in setting security priorities. An integration of the concepts of human security and the insecurity dilemma elucidates why security priorities vary across states. The postcolonial history of many African states demonstrates that forging a national consensus on issues of security can be a daunting task. The former colonial powers bequeathed to the continent government institutions which lacked sufficient mechanisms of representation for the diverse social, political, and ethnic composition of African states. The Ugandan AIDS Commission, a body established by the legislature and placed within the office of the president, coordinates Multisectoral Approach for the Control of AIDS (MACA) policies. As a high-level political institution, MACA and Museveni have been able to create a common message about AIDS.
