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The 1999 HIV survey
SAPA
2000-04-20

The results of the 1999 antenatal HIV survey were recently released.

An estimated 4,2 million people in South Africa were infected with the HI-virus at the end of last year, Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said on 18/4. This estimate was drawn from the results of the 10th national antenatal survey, which indicated a national HIV prevalence rate of 22,4 percent for 1999, compared to 22,8 percent for 1998. Although HIV prevalence had increased in five provinces, there was not a generalised increase in all geographic areas. The 1999 findings suggest that South Africa may be seeing a shift in the epidemiological profile of HIV, in which a small degree of 'stabilisation' may be occurring the Minister said. That did not necessarily mean that there were fewer cases of HIV infection or that there was a change in HIV incidence, although that could be a contributing factor, Tshabalala-Msimang said. The figures might have been influenced by factors like higher mortality rates among HIV-infected people and fewer pregnancies among HIV-infected women. Since 1990 the Health Department has annually conducted the national HIV sero-prevalence survey of women attending public antenatal clinics in South Africa. There is a trend towards slightly lower HIV prevalence rates amongst teenage girls for 1999 than there were in 1998. On the other hand the HIV prevalence was slightly higher in the 30-to-34-year-old group and in the 35-to-39- year-old group the Minister said. KwaZulu-Natal remained the province with the highest prevalence rate, but the survey indicated no increase between 1998 and 1999. (The rate recorded for both years was 32,5 percent.) In contrast, the Western Cape, whilst remaining the province with the lowest level of infection, shows a 36,5 percent increase from 5,2 percent in 1998 to 7,1 percent in 1999. The Minister said the findings underscore the fact that our attention needs to be drawn not as much to the levels of HIV infection, as to the pace at which the epidemic is progressing within provinces. With an increased rate of 27,9 percent compared to last year's 22,8 percent, the Free State has now surpassed Mpumalanga to become the province with the second largest HIV prevalence. Mpumalanga's rate has decreased from 1998's 30 percent to 23,8 percent, the same rate recorded for Gauteng (with 22,5 percent in 1998). In North West it was 23 percent (21,3 percent last year), in the Eastern Cape 18 percent (15,9 percent in 1998), and in the Northern Province it decreased slightly to 11,4 percent. For the Northern Cape a prevalence rate of 10,1 percent was recorded, compared to 1998's 9,9 percent. Tshabalala-Msimang said people in their twenties constituted more than half of the infected population in South Africa. This has tremendous impact on the social fabric of the country and on its economy, as this age category represents the youngest portion of our productive class. Knowing one's HIV status (with appropriate support and counselling) had been proven to change behavioural risk in favour of safer sex practices, the minister said. In the light of this, we need to encourage people of all age categories to go for voluntary testing and counselling for HIV, as a means to effectively promoting safe sex practices. As breadwinners died, child survival was becoming one of the critical areas, she said. The problem could only be successfully handled through intersectoral collaboration and social mobilisation. The figures for the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in our country are a very serious issue for government. We will, through the South African National AIDS Council, and all our partnerships against AIDS, both national and international, redouble our efforts to prevent the further spread of the disease, and to provide care and support for those infected and affected by it. (Source: SAPA, 18/4/00)

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