4.3 Hiv/aids as a developmental problem

Social sciences

Grade 6

Trade and development

Module 13

HIV/Aids as a Developmental Problem

HIV/Aids is a terrifying reality. The following newspaper report (translated from Die Burger of 1 December 2004) makes this very clear.

Aids still on the increase in SA

Figures “disguise” the true extent of HIV/Aids in the country

Antoinette Pienaar

PRETORIA. – The most destructive phase of the Southern African Aids pandemic has probably already reached us, but it is being “disguised” by statistics.

The latest Aids report issued by the United Nations warns that the alleged stabilisation of the incidence of HIV/Aids in some of the countries in this region does not necessarily mean that the pandemic has lost its impetus.

This includes South Africa where earlier this year the Department of Health described the slightly smaller rise in HIV/Aids cases among pregnant women (from 25% in 2001 to 26,5% in 2002 and 27,9% in 2003) as the first signs that the situation was stabilising.

According to the report, the worst phase of the pandemic could be hidden when Aids claims just as many lives as the number of people who contract the virus.

South Africa currently has the greatest number of people with HIV/Aids in the world – between 4,5 million and 6,2 million. These numbers are probably still climbing. In one of the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal Aids-related deaths rose so steeply in the 1990s that they accounted for 48% of all deaths among adults by the year 2000.

“The deaths in this region are most certainly going to increase in the next few years because the incidence of HIV/Aids rose sharply there in the latter part of the 1990s. Aids deaths reflect the number of new cases of HIV/Aids of ten years before.” According to the report between 35,9 million and 44,3 million people world-wide are suffering from HIV/Aids.

Approximately 4,9 million people are expected to become HIV positive this year and 3,1 million are expected to die of Aids-related illnesses. Southern Africa is undoubtedly the hardest-hit region in the world, with approximately 25,4 million HIV positive people this year compared to 24,4 million in 2002. Almost two-thirds of all people with HIV/Aids live in this region. Although the world spent more than $6,1 billion (approximately R36,5 billion) this year in fighting the pandemic as opposed to $2,1 billion in 2001, less than 1% of all people between 15 and 49 years of age have access to HIV testing and counselling in the 73 countries that suffer most.

Between 5 million and 6 million people need immediate treatment with anti-retroviral medication. Less than 10% who should be getting such treatment have access to it.

Die Burger , 1 December 2004

Activity 1:

To make deductions from sources

[lo 1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 3.2. 3.3]

• Use the newspaper report on page 25 as a source and complete the following table. You may also make use of other sources.