Blog 8 HIV/AIDS in South Africa Just cap it Rising condom use brings a dramatic fall in infection rates

South Africa consists of a population of 50 million people, of which 6 million of them are living with HIV/AIDS.  The good news is this number is half of what it used to be in 1999 thanks to a dramatic increase in the use of condoms.  The large number of people that were contracting HIV/AIDS in South Africa was greatly affecting their biggest economy.  At the peak of the pandemic in 2005 HIV/AIDS was killing over 700 people everyday.  This took away skilled workers in their prime and deprived families of their sole provider.  Today in South Africa adults between the ages 15-49, 17% are HIV- positive, with 13% being black South Africans.  Researchers say this high percentage does not come from poverty, but from cultural differences.  According to new findings black South African males tend to be more promiscuous, have more sexual partners, and have sex more often then other South African males.  Another study done in Soweto, Johannesburg concluded that prostitution and sexual violence appear more commonly in black communities.  Black South Africans have also been more hostile to condom use then others, but according to a new study published by the British Royal Society’s Interface journal this appears to be changing.  According to their research 75% of young South African men reported using condoms now, as compared to only 17% that reported using them in 1999.  Thanks to presidents Thabo Mbeki’s refusal to accept HIV/ AIDS as a killer South Africa got a late start on fighting the disease.  Sense its recognition of the virus in 2004 South Africa has made huge efforts to catch up; and it now receives more anti-retrovirals than any other country.  In doing so they have brought the death rate up from 54 to 58, but the fight against HIV/AIDS has a long way to go.  It is still estimated that some 900 South Africans contract the virus everyday and more than 500 people are still dying from it everyday. 

            Africa is well known for having the world’s largest problem with the virus HIV/AIDS.  Over the past decade many steps have been taken to provide the virus stricken countries with vaccines to help in the fight against the pandemic, and much progress has been made thanks to the help of governments and private-public partnership funds worldwide.  The battle is not over yet though, and places like South Africa are still fighting against the epic outbreak.  The difference between South Africa and the rest of Africa is South Africa has, for the most part, money to buy these anti-retroviral vaccinations.  South Africa makes up the biggest economy in Africa with a 24% GDP.  Most studies done in Africa blame the slow and painstaking process of wiping out the HIV/AIDS out break due to poverty, but the researchers in South Africa blame it on “cultural differences”.  The statistics say that out of the 17% of South Africa’s population that is HIV- positive 13% are black males.  Their findings that black males tend to be more sexually active and do not like the idea of wearing condoms is why they say that the black community makes up the largest percentage.  Social complexes such as ethnicity have long been a complex matter in South Africa and are continuously changing. Although these statistics have been found poverty still plays a role in the racial divide, with most of South Africa’s vast wealth being owned by whites.  More should be done to educate and provide relief to those in need.  Even though progress has been made hundreds are still dying daily, which means that the South African government, as well as private-public partnerships need to help those who cannot financially support themselves.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     http://www.economist.com/node/21550001