Aids: The hidden killer
18/02/2005 16:01  - (SA)  

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Johannesburg - Tuberculosis, influenza and pneumonia, and cerebrovascular diseases have emerged as the leading causes of death amongst South Africans from a study of death notification forms. This is one of the key findings contained in the report on Friday by Statistics South Africa - Mortality and causes of death in South Africa 1997-2003.

The release is based on about three million death notification forms for deaths from 1997 to 2003.

According to Statistician-General Pali Lehohla, the data provides indirect evidence that the HIV epidemic in South Africa is raising the mortality levels of prime-aged adults, in that associated diseases are on the increase".

Key findings of the mortality and causes of death study show that the number of reported deaths has been increasing steadily, which is partly associated with population growth and with improved notification. The number of deaths increased by 57% from 318 287 in 1997 to 499 268 in 2002.

The data also shows that the proportion of deaths in the age group 20-49 is increasing.

The number of adult deaths (persons aged 15 years and above) increased by 62% from 272 221 in 1997 to 441 029 in 2002.

While an increasing number of deaths are associated with lifestyle diseases - such as heart disease and diabetes - as the underlying cause, the dominant contributors to the growth in mortality are deaths associated with tuberculosis, and influenza and pneumonia.

Malnutrition was among the ten leading causes of death among children under the age of four. Although there was fluctuation during the three years in the percentages of deaths linked to malnutrition, the numbers of deaths increased steadily, Stats SA said.

The proportion of reported deaths of females is increasing relative to the total.

During the period for which death notification forms have been captured, the majority of deaths were linked to natural causes of death.

Despite improved death registration in South Africa, particularly the introduction of a new death notification form in 1998, the quality of the information collected and the overall coverage remains imperfect, Stats SA added.

Many of the forms are not fully completed: often the population group was left out or the geographical area where the death occurred was not stipulated. Many forms did not detail the causes of death.

- SAPA

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