LUSAKA, Zambia-- Every 22 seconds someone somewhere in Africa contracts HIV/AIDS. Zambia, with a population of just over 10 million is at the top of the list in terms of the percentage of its population that has contracted the virus. The latest figures indicate that at least 20 percent of the population is infected -- some say the final tally could be as high as one person in four.

But AIDS is not an easy subject to spotlight in this part of Africa. The daily death notices in the local papers show photos of young and vibrant people who died of a "short illness" or perhaps "passed away in their sleep." As many here say: "Nobody ever dies of AIDS in Zambia."

But just about everybody knows someone whose life has been cut tragically short by this illness. It strikes at the very heart of Zambia's social, economic and cultural life. Most of those who contract HIV are at the prime of life. The illness deprives children of their parents, husbands of their wives and Zambia's commerce and industry of its workers.

Edward Mwanza, 24, is a young man determined not to die from AIDS, and he won't let his friends die from it either. Mwanza is a peer counselor based in the health clinic in George, a low-income district on the outskirts of the Zambian capital, Lusaka. Mwanza received his training from CARE.

Every Wednesday, Mwanza holds counseling sessions for young people. His clients range from 15 to 24 years of age. Edward advises on HIV/AIDS prevention, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and family planning. "People come to me because they trust me," says Mwanza. "I come from their community. I speak their language." And he's not alone, Mwanza is but one of a number of counselors, the youngest of whom is just 16.

"There's a lot of sex in this city," says Mwanza. "Young people are sexually active from their early teens. And about 40 percent of the people who come to this clinic have some kind of sexually transmitted disease, including HIV/AIDS." Poverty is a huge part of the problem. Many people are unemployed or have an irregular source of income.

There are few diversions in George. Mwanza and his counselors have to catch young people's attention from an early age. A well-managed outreach program, supported by CARE, ensures people know about the counseling sessions. These, combined with a range of other activities including drama shows, choir nights and sports days, give local youngsters a new focus and maintain the momentum for peer counseling -- both among clients and the counselors alike.