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Youth AIDS focus on World population Day

Annual international World Population Day celebrations in South Africa on Tuesday focused on the impact of HIV/AIDS on the nation's youth.

In the capital, Pretoria, Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya said the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic had resulted in social, community and family disintegration.

He noted that this was evident in the increased number of orphans and vulnerable children, child-headed households, and the inability of the extended family system to provide these children with basic requirements such as shelter, food and medical care.

According to the 2001 national census, more than 248,000 households in South Africa were headed by children.


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

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