In the Eastern and Southern African Region (ESAR), the AIDS epidemic is beginning to have a serious impact on the education sector, specifically on the demand for, supply of, and the management and quality of education provided at all levels. The quality of learning outcomes and education will be affected by several confounding factors which will emerge as the pandemic takes a deeper hold in these countries. Education systems and life skill programmes must be developed to reverse this trend and loosen AIDS' hold on ESAR. This report presents individual overviews of seven sub-Saharan African countries: Zimbabwe, Namibia, Uganda, Lesotho, Malawi, Botswana, Swaziland and what programmes each has initiated for this end, but there are still too few life skills programmes. Countries need to focus on the future generations needing education and greater importance needs to be placed on the life skills programmes developed or being developed. Working together with governments and non-governmental organizations, UNICEF and its partners need to advocate promoting rights-based, child friendly schools that are a safe, secure environment.