Search
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. South Africa
  • News

AIDS "indirectly" blamed for jump in deaths

    JOHANNESBURG

    HIV/AIDS emerged as one of the main killers in South Africa's 15 to 49 age bracket, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said at the weekend.

    According to figures released from a national mortality study, deaths recorded between 1997 and 2003 indicated a 57 percent jump, from 318,287 in 1997 to 499,268 in 2003.

    Stats SA's acting deputy director-general for population statistics, Dr Liz Gavin told the UN news service, PlusNews, that data garnered from around three million death certificates provided "indirect evidence" that the HIV epidemic was raising the mortality levels of prime-aged adults.

    However, officials say the exact causes of death remained difficult to ascertain as, in many cases, AIDS-related diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza or pneumonia were recorded on the certificate.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join