The purpose of the study was to examine trends in death rate resulting from communicable diseases including HIV/AIDS in South Africa during the period 2000-2013. Such a study forms an objective basis for assessing whether or not progress has been made in reducing death rates from communicable diseases in the country since 2000 with particular focus on whether HIV/AIDS related death rate in South Africa is declining.
The results of the study indicate that despite free antiretroviral therapy, and many claims to the contrary, the HIV/AIDS related death rate continues to increase in South Africa. The study showed that the crude death rate from HIV/AIDS as underlying cause of death in 2013 was about 1.8 times higher than the level in 2000 nationally.
Author: Udjo E. O. 2017.