Agency Says AIDS-related Deaths Falling in S. Africa

AIDS-related deaths are falling as ramped-up treatment begins to have an impact, says agency.

After years of dragging its heels on the HIV/AIDS crisis, since 2004 South Africa has developed the world's largest HIV treatment programme.

Screening for HIV/AIDS Infection
Efficient screening and better drugs help reduce the prevalence of HIV infection. A number of tests like ELIZA & Western Blot are used for screening HIV.

New data indicate that drive is working. The disease will be responsible for 32 percent of all deaths this year.

While still high, that is a dramatic fall from 48 percent in 2005.

"Medicine has advanced and people are living with HIV and AIDS," statistician-general Pali Lehohla told AFP, unveiling data that point to a dramatic drop in AIDS-related deaths.

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The HIV risk quiz helps you determine risk factors for HIV.

Average life expectancy has also increased to 59.6 years, from just 51.6 in 2005.

But the scale of the problem is huge, with 5.3 million people living with HIV out of a population of nearly 53 million.

Quiz on HIV / AIDS
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Immune control of HIV ()
Symptoms of HIV/AIDS ()
Cure for AIDS ()
Acute HIV syndrome ()
World AIDS day ()
Western blot ()

The state had 1.9 million people on treatment in April this year.

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Statistics South Africa released its last mid-year estimates, which uses modelled figures, in 2011.

The country's population growth rate is just over one percent.

Source-AFP