106 000 kids need ARVs in SA

2009-07-27 19:07

Johannesburg - Statistics SA say it’s estimated that nearly 11% of the total population in South Africa this year is HIV positive".

The total number of new HIV infections for 2009 was put at 413 000. Of these, an estimated 59 000 would be among children.

It said the total number of people living with HIV increased from an estimated 4.1 million in 2001 to 5.2 million by 2009.

Statistics SA estimated that approximately 1.5 million people aged 15 and older, and approximately 106 000 children, would need antiretroviral treatment this year.

Around one-fifth of South African women in their reproductive ages were HIV positive. The total number of people living with HIV was estimated at 5.21 million.

For adults aged 15-49, an estimated 17% of the population was HIV positive.

Female

Life expectancy at birth was estimated at 53.5 for males and 57.2 for females.

The infant mortality rate was estimated at 45.7 per 1 000 births.

The Pretoria-based agency said there were an estimated 49.32 million people in South Africa and about 52% of the population was female.

Blacks were in the majority (39.14 million) and constituted just more than 79% of the total population, the Pretoria-based agency said.

The white population was estimated at 4.47 million, the coloured population at 4.43 million and the Indian/Asian population at 1.28 million.

Share

Gauteng comprised the largest share of the country's population with about 10.53 million people (21.4%) living in the province and KwaZulu-Natal had the second-largest population, with 10.45 million people (21.2%).

With a population of approximately 1.15 million people (2.3%), the Northern Cape had the smallest share of SA's population.

The rate of growth for the country's population declined between 2001 and 2009.

"The estimated overall growth rate declined from approximately 1.38% between 2001-2002 to 1.07% for 2007-2009. The growth rate for females is lower than that of males."

At mid-year 2009 around one-third of the population was aged between 0-14 and around 7.5% was older than 60.

- SAPA