A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled equivalence trial of zinc supplementation was conducted at Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Ninety-six HIV-1-infected children were randomly assigned to receive 10 mg of elemental zinc as sulfate or placebo daily for 6 months. Baseline measurements of plasma HIV-1 viral load and the percentage of CD4+ T-lymphocytes were established at two study visits prior to randomization, and measurements were repeated 3, 6 and 9 months after starting supplementation. Plasma HIV-1 viral load and the percentage of CD4+ T-lymphocytes were compared before and after supplementation.