Six million South Africans living with HIV/Aids

In South Africa the estimated prevalence of HIV increased by almost 2% from 2008 to 2012, largely because of new infections and a higher survival rate.

An estimated 6.4 million people were living with HIV/Aids in 2012 in South Africa, a study by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) revealed.

The findings of the SA National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey 2012, was officially launched in Pretoria. Over 38 000 people were interviewed and almost 29 000 agreed to be tested for HIV.

The estimated overall prevalence of HIV increased from 10.6% in 2008 to 12.2% in 2012.

According to the survey, the increased prevalence of HIV in 2012 was largely due to the combined effects of new infections and a successfully expanded antiretroviral treatment (ART) programme.

The availability and use of ART had increased survival among HIV-infected individuals.

HIV-prevalence in the 15-49 year age group was 18.8% but was significantly higher in females (23.2%) than in males (14.5%).

"I am pleased to see that more people with HIV are living longer, because of the hugely expanded treatment programme launched by the government," said HSRC CEO Olive Shisana.

Universal access to treatment

"The disproportionately high HIV-prevalence levels among females in the country and high HIV-prevalence in unmarried cohabiting people however, require a rethinking of conventional approaches of HIV prevention towards strategies that address the underlying socio-cultural norms in the affected communities."

The survey noted a slight decline of HIV-prevalence among youth aged 15-24 years, from 8.7% in 2008 to 7.3% in 2012.

As a result of the country’s successful Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme, HIV infection levels also further decreased in infants 12 months and younger, from 2.0% in 2008 to 1.3% in 2012.

Another key finding of the 2012 Survey was that over two million people were on ART by mid-2012, suggesting that the country was on its way towards universal access to treatment.

The HIV incidence rate among female youth aged 15-24 years was over four times higher than for males in this age group (2.5% vs. 0.6%).

Compared with 2008 data, there were trends toward a decline in condom use in all age groups, except for the 50 years and older group, and an increase in multiple sexual partnerships among sexually active people aged 15 years and older in 2012.

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Clinics running short of HIV/Aids drugs

One in five South African clinics are running short of life-saving HIV/Aids drugs, affecting nearly half a million people and undermining the success of the world's largest treatment programme, medical charities said.

With about 6 million people infected with the virus - more than 10% of the population - South Africa carries the world's heaviest HIV/Aids caseload and has around 2.5 million people taking antiretroviral (ARV) drugs daily.

However, the huge numbers are causing the system to creak, health researchers say.

Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières surveyed more than 2 300 of South Africa's 3 800 public health facilities and found that one in five had either run short or run out of drugs in the previous three months.

Of the affected clinics, catering for 420 000 patients, 20% said they had had to turn away patients, putting the effectiveness of the ARV treatment plan at risk, MSF said. "The sheer scale of the problem shows stock-outs to be one of the principal barriers to maintaining an effective treatment programme," said Anele Yawa of the Treatment Action Campaign, an HIV/Aids advocacy group that took part in the research.

'Problem not that bad'

The health ministry acknowledged some problems but said MSF was exaggerating the situation.

"When you are running a project as big as this, you're likely to have some challenges," said health ministry spokesman Joe Maila. "We accept there's a problem but the level at which they pitched it is an extreme over-exaggeration."

A year ago, South Africa awarded a $667 million two-year contract to pharmaceutical firms including Aspen Pharmacare , Abbott Laboratories and Adcock Ingram to supply HIV/AIids medication.

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