South Africa's HIV and AIDS infection rate 'slowing down'
22/06/2010
A new study has suggested that the number of people with HIV and AIDS in South Africa could be on the decline.
Conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in South Africa and Imperial College London, the report used prevalence data from national surveys to reveal a 35 per cent drop in the rate of new infections.
According to Plus News, the research discovered that 1.3 per cent of 15 to 49-year-olds newly contracted the diseases between 2005 and 2008, compared to two per cent among the same group between 2002 and 2005.
Thomas Rehle, spokesperson for the HSRC and lead researcher, said: "Young females are the most vulnerable [to HIV infection], so it's good news that we have declines there, but we still have too many new infections."
Plus News also recently reported that demonstrators staged a protest outside the US Consulate in Johannesburg, South Africa, against the flat-lining of Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief funds used to combat HIV in the country.
Written by Dan Parr
