HIV/AIDS in South Africa

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HIV and AIDS in South Africa are a major health concern. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the retrovirus that causes the disease known as AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). South Africa has more people with HIV/AIDS than any other country.^[1]] Many are treated at South Africa's Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, the world's largest hospital.^[1]

Most researchers believe that HIV originated in sub-Saharan Africa during the twentieth century.^[2] The South African National HIV Survey estimated that 10.8% of all South Africans over 2 years old were living with HIV in 2005 ^[3]. Furthermore, the ASSA2003 model estimates that 345,640 South Africans died of AIDS in 2006.

Contents 1 Effects 2 Government action 3 References 4 External links 5 See also

[edit] Effects

AIDS is affecting mainly those who are sexually active, which means the demographics of the country are slowly changing. Most deaths are people who are also economically active, resulting in many families losing their primary wage earners. This is resulting in many 'AIDS orphans' who in many cases depend on the state for care and financial support.^[4] It is estimated that there are 1,100,000 orphans in South Africa.^[4] Elderly people, traditionally supported by younger members of the family, are also becoming more and more dependent on the state for financial support.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Government action

The government has recently, after much delay, devoted substantial resources to fighting the epidemic. In 2000, President Mbeki publicly questioned the importance of HIV in causing AIDS, controversially suggesting that the main cause was "poverty".^[5] In 2001 the government appointed a panel of scientists, including a number of AIDS dissidents (who question the mainstream view on HIV), to report back on the issue. Following their report, the government stated that it continues to base its policy on the premise that the cause of AIDS is indeed HIV.^[6] The controversy has not abated, and organisations such as the Treatment Action Campaign continue to mount political and legal challenges to what they claim is the government's slow response to the epidemic.

Recently, drafts of a new five-year National Strategic AIDS Plan have come closer to being finalized. The new plans allocates about R45-billion (about 6 billion US Dollars) towards infection prevention, and says nothing of the previous governmental claims that malnutrition played a role in the spread of AIDS. The council, headed by Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, is expected to announce the finalized plan by the end of March.^[7]

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} radiodiaries entry on "Just Another Day at the Biggest Hospital in the World"
2. ^ Gao, F., Bailes, E., Robertson, D. L., Chen, Y., Rodenburg, C. M., Michael, S. F., Cummins, L. B., Arthur, L. O., Peeters, M., Shaw, G. M., Sharp, P. M. and Hahn, B. H. (1999). "Origin of HIV-1 in the Chimpanzee Pan troglodytes troglodytes". Nature 397 (6718): 436-441. PubMed DOI:10.1038/17130. 
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ ^{a b} AIDS orphans. Avert. Retrieved on 2006-10-08.
5. ^ BBC News: Controversy dogs Aids forum
6. ^ BBC News: South African split over Aids
7. ^ South Africa's Aids action plan. the International Marketing Council of South Africa (2007-3-15).

8. Pieter Fourie, "The Political Management of HIV and AIDS in South Africa: One burden too many?" Palgrave Macmillan, 2006, ISBN 0230006671

[edit] External links

• AIDSPortal South Africa page - latest research, guidelines and case studies

[edit] See also

• Portal:South Africa

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