Can the Angolan Military Defuse the AIDS Time Bomb?

Angola emerged from its decades-long civil war with one of the lowest HIV infection rates in AIDS-ravaged Southern Africa. But now Angola is coping with the problems of peace. As refugees and soldiers return home and transportation and trade resume, the threat of AIDS looms. In response to this new enemy, the government has once again rallied its military forces.

The fight against AIDS in Angola, home to substantial oil reserves, could affect regional stability. As death rates from AIDS exceed the rate at which teachers, doctors, and security forces can be trained and maintained, sectors of society may begin to collapse.

Wide Angle's "AIDS Warriors" explores the role of the military as it mobilizes to avert a disastrous health crisis within its ranks and among the general population. The challenge Angola faces offers an arresting portrait of a nation at a crucial moment in history and represents a rare oasis of hope for the future.

Producer Micah Fink, an award-winning journalist, has developed and produced documentary programming for PBS Frontline, National Geographic Television, and ABC News. Dr. Eric Bing's research seeks to improve health care for disadvantaged populations. With Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, he helped the Ministry of Health in Angola start its own Institutional Review Board.