HIV/AIDS:
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in humans in which the immune system begins to fail leading to life threatening appotunistic infections.
Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, or breast milk.
The four major routes of transmission are unsafe sex, contaminated needles, breast milk and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth.
From its discovery in 1981 to 2006, AIDS killed more than 25 million people. HIV infects about 0.6 % of the world’s population. In 2009, AIDS claimed an estimated 1.8 million lives, down from a global peak of 2.1 million in 2004. Approximately 260 000 children died of AIDS in 2009. A dispropritionate number of AIDS deaths occurs in sub-saharan Africa, retarding economic growth and exacerbating the burden of poverty.
In 2005 it was estimated that HIV would infect 90 million people in Africa, resulting in a minimum estimate of 18 million orphans. Treatment wit antiretroviral drugs reduce both the mortality of HIV infection.
The south African department of health study 2009
Based on its sample of 32,861 women attending 1,447 antenatal clinics across all nine provinces, the South African Department of Health study estimates that 29.4% of pregnant woman (aged 15-49) were living with HIV in 2009.
Estimated HIV prevalence (%) among antenatal clinic attendees, by province:
Kwazulu-Natal: 2001: 33.5 %
2002: 36.5 %
2003: 37.5 %
2004: 40.7 %
2005: 39.1 %
2006: 39.1 %
2007: 38.7 %
2008: 38.7 %
2009: 39.5 %
Mapumalanga: 2001: 29.2 %
2002: 28.2 %
2003: 32.6 %
2004: 30.8 %
2005: 34.8 %
2006: 32.1 %
2007: 34.6 %
2008: 35.5 %
2009: 34.7 %
Free state: 2001: 30.1 %
2002: 28.8 %
2003: 30.1 %
2004: 29.5 %
2005: 30.5 %
2006: 31.1 %
2007: 31.5 %
2008: 32.9 %
2009: 30.1 %
Gautenge: 2001: 29.8 %
2002: 31.6 %
2003: 29.6 %
2004: 33.1 %
2005: 32.4 %
2006: 30.8 %
2007: 30.5 %
2008: 29.9 %
2009: 29.8 %
North West: 2001: 25.2 %
2002: 26.2 %
2003: 29.9 %
2004: 26.7 %
2005: 31.8 %
2006: 29.0 %
2007: 30.6 %
2008: 31.0 %
2009: 30.0 %
Esten Cape: 2001: 21.7 %
2002: 36.6 %
2003: 27.1 %
2004: 80.0 %
2005: 29.5 %
2006: 28.6 %
2007: 28.8 %
2008: 27.6 %
2009: 28.1 %
Limpopo: 2001: 14.5 %
2002: 15.6 %
2003: 17.5 %
2004: 19.3 %
2005: 21.5 %
2006: 20.6 %
2007: 20.4 %
2008: 20.7 %
2009: 21.4 %
Northern Cape: 2001: 15.9 %
2002: 15.1 %
2003: 16.7 %
2004: 17.6 %
2005: 18.5 %
2006: 15.6 %
2007: 16.5 %
2008: 16.2 %
2009: 17.2 %
Western cape : 2001: 8.6 %
2002: 12.4 %
2003: 13.1 %
2004: 15.4 %
2005: 15.7 %
2006: 15.1 %
2007: 15.3 %
2008: 16.1 %
2009: 16.9 %
National: 2001: 24.8 %
2002: 26.5 %
2003: 27.9 %
2004: 29.5 %
2005: 30.2 %
2006: 29.1 %
2007: 29.4 %
2008: 29.3 %
2009: 29.4 %
Estimated HIV prevalence % among antenatal clinic attendees by age :
| Age group (years) | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| 15-19 | 13.7 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 13.7 |
| 20-24 | 28.0 | 28.0 | 26.9 | 26.6 |
| 25-29 | 38.7 | 37.5 | 37.9 | 37.1 |
| 30-34 | 37.0 | 39.6 | 40.4 | 41.5 |
| 35-39 | 29.3 | 33.0 | 32.4 | 35.4 |
| 40-44 | 21.3 | 22.2 | 23.3 | 25.6 |
From 2008 – 2009 there was a decrease in HIV prevalence among young women aged 15 – 19 years and increase in prevalence among those aged 30 – 34.
Tble1: Mid-year population estimates for SA by population group and sex, 2010:
| Population group | Male | Female | Total | |||
| Numbers | % of total population | Number | % of total population | Number | % of total population | |
| African Coloured Indian/Asian | 19314500 | 79.4 | 20 368100 | 79.4 | 39682600 | 79.4 |
| 2124900 | 8.7 | 2299200 | 9.0 | 4424100 | 8.8 | |
| 646600 | 2.7 | 65300 | 2.5 | 1299900 | 2.6 | |
| white | 2243000 | 9.2 | 2341700 | 9.1 | 4584700 | 9.2 |
| Total | 24329000 | | 25662300 | 100.0 | 49991300 | 100.0 |
Table 2: Mid-year population estimates by province, 2010:
| | Population estimate | % share of the total population |
| Eastern cape | 6 743 800 | 13.5 |
| Free state | 2 824 500 | 5.7 |
| Gauteng | 11 191700 | 22.4 |
| Kwazulu-Natal | 10 645 400 | 21.3 |
| Limpopo | 5439 600 | 10.9 |
| Mpumalanga | 3617 600 | 7.2 |
| Northern cape | 1 103900 | 2.2 |
| North west | 3200 900 | 6.4 |
| Western cape | 5223 900 | 10.4 |
| Total | 49991 300 | 100.0 |
