the world, with an infection rate of 16.3 per cent. Some urban centres and corridors are experiencing even higher rates of infection. Referring to the Ministry of Health’s (MISAU) Report on the Revision of HIV Epidemiological Vigilance Data for 2004 and 2005, the Country Self-Assessment Report (CSAR) points out zonal variations in the infection rates. For instance, Sofala province is most affected, with a prevalence rate of up to 25 per cent, followed by Maputo city at 25 per cent and Nampula at 9.8 per cent. 166. Starting in 1986, the government has put in place a number of programmes and strategies to stem the spread of the HIV/Aids pandemic. These include, among other things, the launching of the National Programme for Combating Aids in 1988 and the establishment of the CNCS in 2000. The council is mandated to coordinate, monitor and evaluate multisector activities aimed at combating the pandemic. Under the coordination of the CNCS, a National Strategic Plan for Combating STDs/HIV/Aids (PEN), aimed at sensitisation, prevention and treatment, was initially launched in 2000. The first phase covered the period from 2000–04 and the second from 2005–09. The priority areas dealt with in the second phase of PEN are prevention, advocacy, stigma, treatment, mitigation, investigation and national coordination. 167. Despite all the measures undertaken by the government to address the problem, the situation is still worrying, given the growing trend in prevalence rates. The CSAR points out that some of the objectives pursued under PEN are not being fully achieved, due to various reasons. High Dependence on Donors 168. Aid in the form of budgetary and project support now provides roughly half of Mozambique’s annual budget, making it one of the most aid-dependent countries in Africa. FDI appears to be tapering off or is of poor (i.e. risky) quality. In 1992, the year the current government came into power, official development assistance amounted to approximately US$200 million. By 1997, aid from the IMF, World Bank and donor governments had increased to nearly US$850 million. Although there has been a decline in the level of dependence on aid, it still remains high. Mozambique was the first country to access the original HIPC Initiative in April 1998 and the Enhanced HIPC Initiative in May 2000. Although the country’s debt overhang has since been reduced drastically under this initiative, it remains high and continues to grow. Disaster and Environmental Management 169. Mozambique is prone to natural disasters. The country is faced with desertification, pollution of surface and coastal waters, severe drought and floods in the central and southern provinces, and, in recent years, earthquakes. 81