Expert warns of rising AIDS prevalence

SOUTH AFRICA: Expert warns of rising AIDS prevalence

JOHANNESBURG, 7 Oct 2005 (PLUSNEWS) - South Africa is showing a steady increase in its HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, a professor from the University of KwaZulu-Natal has warned.

In his address at opening of the Gauteng AIDS Council conference in Johannesburg on Thursday, Prof Alan Whiteside noted that infection rates among people aged 20 to 24 were still rising, while 29 percent of women were HIV-positive.

The local Mail and Guardian newspaper quoted Whiteside as saying, "HIV prevalence in Gauteng is well over 30 percent and provinces like KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and the Free State have the highest prevalence rates in the country."

According to Whiteside, the impact of the pandemic was not only being felt at government level but also in schools, communities, municipalities and the workplace.

[ENDS]

[Back] [Home Page]

Click here to send any feedback, comments or questions you have about PlusNews Website or if you prefer you can send an Email to Webmaster

Copyright ? IRIN 2006
The material contained on www.PlusNews.org comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian news and information service, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies.
All PlusNews material may be reposted or reprinted free-of-charge; refer to the IRIN copyright page for conditions of use. IRIN is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.