HIV / AIDS - WHERE ARE WE?

The confusion in South Africa about what really is happening on the HIV / Aids front is perhaps exacerbated by the conflicting reports issued by our South African authorities and by international organisations. The truth of the situation appears to lie between the various reports and below are some facts and figures that paint the general picture. As obtaining accurate information about HIV / Aids is notoriously difficult, the figures are at best reasonably accurate.

1. A 2007 study showed that 33% of South Africans engage in high risk behaviour and about 20% engage in medium risk behaviour.
2. In 2007 about 30% of all pregnant women were HIV positive. This could be as high as 40% in KZN.
3. The initial exponential increase in infection rates seems to have levelled off and the figures show a possible slight decline over the past few years.
4. HIV prevalence rates in older age groups (30 – 50) has however shown a tendency to be on the increase.
5. 18% of South Africans between the ages of 15 and 50 are HIV positive. Swaziland at 26% has the highest infection rate in the world. The overall global infection rate is 0.8%.
6. South Africa has a population of about 50 million of which about 11% are HIV positive – that's about 5.5 million HIV positive South Africans. 
7. A comparison between the registered deaths during the years 1997 and 2006 revealed an increase in the death rate of 91% and a staggering increase of 170% in the 25 – 50 year age group. The death rate for females between the ages of 25 – 34 more than quadrupled but the rates for people over 55 and between the ages of 15 – 20 remained constant. 
8. By 2015 there will be about 6 million South Africans living  with HIV / Aids by which time about 5.4 million would have died of Aids. 
9. The current population growth rate of South Africa is about 0.28% per annum.

Bruce Lyle | Membership Services Manager