 South
Africans and ex-pats alike, rant and rave about the disturbing crime wave
in the country but there is a silent killer that poses a far greater threat
-- Aids. According to former health minister, Nkosazana Zuma, South Africa
has the fastest growing number of HIV patients in the world, with close
to 50,000 people being infected with the virus every month. If that is
not enough to stop you in your tracks, then nothing will.
The SA department of health estimates that at least 20 percent of the workforce will be infected by the virus at the turn of the century. Over the next three years, the annual death toll will be 250,000, leaving behind almost 600,000 orphans. Do you know what that is going to do to the economy of the country? The epidemic is mainly affecting the economically active age group. South Africa will lose large amounts of money in training unskilled workers, in an effort to find suitable replacements for the skilled men and women who are dying. The disease is projected to cut average life expectancy by 20 years, and to shrink economic growth by 2 percent. Despite efforts by the government, community-based organisations and other parties to curb the spread of the disease, southern Africa remains the hardest hit. And precious little is being done to stave off this catastrophe. According to the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Ibrahim Samba, Africa has 70 percent of the people living with AIDS in the world, 83 percent of the AIDS deaths, and 95 percent of world's AIDS orphans. More than 33 million people were living with HIV/AIDS
at the end of 1998, 11 people are infected each minute, around the world,
according to the WHO. AIDS causes 2.5 million deaths a year worldwide
I posted my views about the Aids epidemic in South Africa on a local SA news website and the response was unbelievable. I'm still scratching my head in disbelief at some of the letters that came in. See for yourself. CLICK HERE
, 1999. Best Viewed with Netscape Navigator Webmaster:
COLIN DEDRICKS
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