Many of the victims are believed to have been members of a church led by a pastor who is being investigated on allegations that he directed his congregants to starve themselves to death.
Incidence of illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension are climbing quickly in most sub-Saharan countries, but the conditions are rarely diagnosed or treated.
Sub-Saharan Africa has made steady progress in delivering lifesaving medication to adults, but young patients are harder to reach and 100,000 are dying of AIDS each year