Document Type

Article

Disciplines

International Law

Abstract

In South Africa the HIV prevalence rate is presently at 24.5%. The South African National Department of Health's 2000 antenatal survey illustrates an increase in the HIV/AIDS prevalence rates since the first antenatal survey was conducted in 1990.1 In 1998 the prevalence rate was at 22.8% and in 2000 it increased to 24.5%. In South Africa an "estimated 263,000 AIDS cases in 2000 are projected to more than double to 620,000 by 2005. ' 2 In 2000 the infection rates for those between the ages of twenty and twenty-four was at 29.1%; between twentyfive and twenty-nine years, 30.6%; between thirty and thirty-four years, 23.3%; between thirty-five and thirty-nine years, 15.8%; between forty and forty-four, 10.2%; and, lastly, between the ages of forty-five and forty-nine the rate was at 13.1%. 3 These projections are supported by the report commissioned by LoveLife on an update on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa,4 whose data shows that the main causes of death for people between the ages of twenty and forty-nine years are AIDS related. 5 This ranges from 5% for those between the ages of twenty and twenty-four and 25% for those between the ages of thirty and thirty-four. On October 17, 2001, a report published by the Medical Research Council (MRC)' confirmed the escalating impact of HIV/AIDS in the South African community. The MRC report indicates that there has been an increase in mortality rates especially for the adult population. This report, which has been the subject of controversy, estimates that approximately 40% of adult deaths aged fifteen to fortynine and about 20% of all adult deaths in the year 2000 were due to HIV/AIDS.

The above statistics and extrapolations from the surveys indicate the extent of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa. The increase from 0.7% in 1990 to 24.5% in 2000 indicates that the epidemic has reached unparalleled proportions in the history of South Africa. In light of such gloom it is important to make certain that there is access to affordable medicines for those infected with HIV/AIDS. It is also imperative that prevention programs are put in place to ensure that those who are not infected remain negative. South Africa also needs programs to ensure that those infected are provided with treatment, which is an integral part of a prevention strategy.

Commentators have differing views regarding the causal link between HIV and AIDS and ultimately what is responsible for the increase in mortality rates in the developing world. Some argue that there is no link between HIV and AIDS and that the main cause is poverty. Indeed, an interrelationship exists between poverty and HIV/AIDS. In instances where people live below the bread line and do not have access to basic amenities of life, including, but not limited to, access to treatment for HIV/AIDS-related illnesses, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is very high. In developing countries where the majority live in poverty, there are high rates of HIV infections and the mortality rates have increased.' It is a fact that there is no cure for HIV/AIDS but that there are medicines that can extend the lifespan of those infected with the HIV virus, allowing them to live longer and with dignity.

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