SUMMARY REPORT OF THE NINTH NATIONAL HIV SURVEY

Issued by: GCIS

SUMMARY REPORT OF THE NINTH NATIONAL HIV SURVEY OF WOMEN ATTENDING ANTENATAL CLINICS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1998

It is with great concern that we announce the results of the ninth HIV antenatal clinic survey amongst pregnant women, who attended public health facilities during October 1998.

The survey is based on 15 301 blood samples screened for HIV antibodies, of which an estimated 22,8% of women attending antenatal clinics nationally, were infected with HIV. This translates to approximately 3,6 million South Africans or 8,6% of the total population. In simple terms, roughly one in eight adult South Africans (an adult considered as a person from age 14 for the purposes of this report), were infected with the HIV in 1998.

The survey indicates the following worrying aspects:

• 33,8% rate of increase in the prevalence of HIV infection since 1997
• Prevalence rate in teenage girls (15 - 19 years) has risen from 12,7% in 1997 to 21%
• A high increase in HIV prevalence amongst women in the twenties, 26,1% and 26,9% for the 20 - 24 and 25 - 29 year old groups respectively.
• HIV infection in the provinces has continued to rise; KwaZulu-Natal - 32,2%, Mpumalanga - 30%, Free State - 22,8%, Gauteng - 22,5%, North-West - 21,3%, Eastern Cape - 15,9%, Northern Province - 11,5%, Northern Cape -9,9% and Western Cape - 5,2%.

KwaZuluNatal continues to be the province with the highest prevalence rate and has registered an increase of 20,8%. The Northern Province, has the highest percentage rate of increase at 40,2%, whilst the prevalence rate is still only 11,5%.

Percentage increases by provinces:

• Gauteng is 31,6%,
• Mpumalanga 32,8%,
• Eastern Cape 26,2%,
• North West 17,7%,
• None in the Western Cape,
• Northern Cape 15,1% and
• Free State 14%.

This indeed is cause for grave concern and we consider it a wake up call to the nation.

We are the first to acknowledge that, not enough has been done to impact on the epidemic. However, there is hope. A number of initiatives have been taken upon by government, in partnership with a number of stakeholders.

• The Inter-Ministerial Committee on AIDS chaired by the Deputy-President
• Government AIDS Action Plan
• Launch of the partnership against AIDS in October 1998
• The President, Deputy President, Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Premiers and MECs have continually been incorporating AIDS messages in their public addresses
• Three major union federations have jointly launched their HIV programmes
• HIV/AIDS programmes have been launched in some companies like Eskom, Spoornet, etc.
• More than 20 celebrities have committed themselves to be AIDS ambassadors
• Popular singers have jointly recorded a song on the danger of AIDS
• Church leaders are coming out openly calling upon their congregations to be aware of AIDS and use condoms if they cannot abstain.

4 March 1999