Life expectancy in Africa plummets due to AIDS
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Source: AF-AIDS <af-aids@hivnet.ch>
BBC News Wednesday, October 14, 1998; Published at 18:21 GMT 19:21 UK
The US Census Bureau report, to be published next month, shows that
average life expectancy in Zimbabwe is expected to fall from 61 to 39
by the year 2010. Zimbabwe is the country which has been worst hit by
AIDS, but the report shows the devastating toll of the disease across
the continent. According to the New Scientist, the report says that
the average Kenyan will live 18 years less and the average Botswanan
22 years less because of AIDS. Joseph Malawa, director of population
services in Zimbabwe tells the magazine: "We are living through a
nightmare."
Status of women
AIDS is prevalent in particular regions in Africa - mainly central,
southern and east Africa. In 1995, 60% of all HIV cases in Africa
came from these regions, although they only account for about 15% of
the continent's population. More than 80% of people with AIDS come
from Africa. According to the United Nations AIDS programme, UNAIDS,
there are many reasons for this, including the status of women and
their ability to negotiate safer sex, poverty and the high rate of
sexually transmitted diseases in some countries. UNAIDS says one in
four people in Zimbabwe and Botswana have HIV - the highest preva-
lence in the world - and the figures are only a little lower for
Kenya. "This is what skews life expectancy," said a spokeswoman.
Southern Africa was initially thought not to have such a high rate as
eastern and central Africa, but recent research shows the incidence
is rising fast.
Mandela
On Friday, South Africa launched a new strategy to prevent the spread
of HIV. Unfortunately, President Mandela was not on hand to launch
the strategy due to sickness. UNAIDS says high profile campaigns
backed by presidents and health ministries and aimed at the general
population are necessary to slow the spread of HIV. It believes the
main reason for the spread in South Africa is thought to include cul-
tural attitudes to sex, the high number of migrant workers and the
fact that the government has tended to give other issues greater pri-
ority. It says the country is also paying for its relatively high
level of development. It has a high number of roads, which aids the
spread of the disease. Truckers who visit prostitutes are thought to
be one of the major vectors of infection.
Early intervention
UNAIDS says early intervention can reduce the infection level. In
Uganda, one of the African countries first struck by AIDS, high pro-
file government efforts have finally succeeded in lowering infection
rates. Prevention programmes have led to people having fewer sexual
partners, using condoms more and postponing sex to a later age. How-
ever, 10% of Ugandans are estimated to have the disease. In Senegal,
early awareness campaigns and strong religious beliefs have combined
to ensure that HIV levels have remained more or less constant. But
even in countries where levels of infection have been dropping, the
impact of the disease is still likely to be devastating. "Most epi-
demics strike the weak - the oldest and the youngest. But AIDS
strikes young adults - parents and workers. We do not know what the
impact will be like in 30 or 40 years," said a UNAIDS spokeswoman.
Ignorance
The problem is compounded by ignorance of HIV status. It reckons nine
out of 10 infected people do not know they are carrying the disease.
"And this is a conservative estimate," said a spokeswoman. Asia is
now looking likely to follow the African pattern. Figures published
on Wednesday show that 6,600 people have died of AIDS in Cambodia
this year. Cambodia is the most effected country in the region. The
health ministry estimates that 150,000 of the 11m Cambodians have HIV
with 90% of infections caused by sexual intercourse. UNAIDS says the
figures are likely to be vastly underestimated.
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