AIDS in South Africa^*

Both HIV prevalence rates and the numbers of people dying from AIDS vary greatly between African countries. In Somalia and Senegal the HIV prevalence is under 1% of the adult population, whereas in South Africa and Zambia around 15-20% of adults are infected with HIV.

Some 320,000 South Africans died of AIDS in 2006. That figure is expected to rise to 500,000 per year in the next few years. Life expectancy at birth has fallen from about 60 years to 49 years for women and 47 years for men as of the end of 2006. Some 5,300,000 adults aged 15 and over are living with HIV in South Africa, and more than 58% of these are women. In South Africa, more women than men are infected, and women bear the brunt, both of the infections and the care of the infected. Girls are much more likely to be taken out of school to care for the sick and manage the home.

South Africa currently has a high proportion of children who are not continuously cared for by either parent, and very high rates of care by aunts and grandmothers. This is due to the history of displacement of people during the racially segregated apartheid era, combined with the migrant labor system. In that system, the men of the communities tend to work in distant mines, factories, farms, and other industries, often seeing their families only once or twice a year. High poverty, low education levels and an inadequate welfare system result in more risk-taking behavior and commercial sex work. Shifting social norms permit high numbers of sexual partners. A highly volatile work force and a good transport system (compared with other African countries) allow spread of the virus.

The AIDS epidemic inserts itself into this already fragile family environment, at least partially through lonely men using infected sex workers and bringing the disease home to their wives. Cultural norms often make use of condoms unwelcome for the men. The low status of women in society makes it difficult for them to protect themselves in sexual relationships, and married women have a higher rate of infection than sexually active unmarried women. Myths such as “have sex with a virgin to be cured” exacerbate the problems. One of the worst consequences is the creation of AIDS orphans and other children whose family members are HIV positive. In 2006, 240,000 children in South Africa were living with HIV, and there were 1,200,000 children orphaned by AIDS.

KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), home to the village of Ndawana where Edzimkulu is working, is pinpointed as the nucleus of the disease in South Africa, but statistics for the province are sketchy and often in conflict.

For a summary of the history of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, please see the AVERT web site.

* All statistics from UNAIDS and AVERT.