South Africa Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==== HIV/AIDS ==== {{Main|HIV/AIDS in South Africa}} [[File:Life expectancy in select African countries, 1950–2019.jpg|thumb|Life expectancy in select Southern African countries, 1950–2019. [[HIV/AIDS]] has caused a fall in life expectancy.]] According to the 2015 [[Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS|UNAIDS]] medical report, South Africa has an estimated seven million people who are living with HIV – more than any other country in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/southafrica|title=HIV and AIDS estimates (2015)|access-date=21 December 2014|archive-date=12 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212190759/http://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/southafrica|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018, HIV prevalence—the percentage of people living with HIV—among adults (15–49 years) was 20.4%, and in the same year 71,000 people died from an AIDS-related illness.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/southafrica|title=South Africa|website=www.unaids.org|language=en|access-date=9 November 2019|archive-date=28 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828020358/https://www.unaids.org/en/regionscountries/countries/southafrica|url-status=live}}</ref> A 2008 study revealed that HIV/AIDS infection is distinctly divided along racial lines: 13.6% of blacks are HIV-positive, whereas only 0.3% of whites have the virus.<ref name="ten">{{cite web|title=South Africa HIV & AIDS Statistics|url=http://www.avert.org/south-africa-hiv-aids-statistics.htm|publisher=AVERT.org|access-date=6 May 2013|archive-date=16 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016190720/http://www.avert.org/south-africa-hiv-aids-statistics.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Most deaths are experienced by economically active individuals, resulting in many [[AIDS orphan]]s who in many cases depend on the state for care and financial support.<ref name="avertaids">{{cite web|url=http://www.avert.org/aidsorphans.htm|title=AIDS orphans|publisher=Avert|access-date=8 October 2006|archive-date=7 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707054438/http://www.avert.org/aidsorphans.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> It is estimated that there are 1,200,000 orphans in South Africa.<ref name="avertaids" /> The link between HIV, a virus spread primarily by sexual contact, and AIDS was long [[HIV/AIDS denialism|denied]] by President [[Thabo Mbeki]] and his health minister [[Manto Tshabalala-Msimang]], who insisted that the many deaths in the country are caused by [[Malnutrition in South Africa|malnutrition]], and hence poverty, and not HIV.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afrol.com/articles/21094|title=Sack SA Health Minister – world's AIDS experts|publisher=afrol News|access-date=8 October 2006|archive-date=18 October 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018120544/http://www.afrol.com/articles/21094|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, in response to international pressure, the government made efforts to fight AIDS.<ref name="www.info.gov.za">{{cite web|url=http://www.info.gov.za/otherdocs/2007/aidsplan2007/situation_analysis.pdf|title=Situation Analysis. HIV & AIDS and STI Strategic Plan 2007–2011|publisher=info.gov.za|access-date=26 June 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530221742/http://www.info.gov.za/otherdocs/2007/aidsplan2007/situation_analysis.pdf|archive-date=30 May 2013 }}</ref> After the [[2009 South African general election|2009 general elections]], President Jacob Zuma appointed [[Aaron Motsoaledi]] as the health minister and committed his government to increasing funding for and widening the scope of HIV treatment,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unpan.org/Regions/Africa/PublicAdministrationNews/tabid/113/mctl/ArticleView/ModuleId/1460/articleId/21146/Zuma-Announces-NHI-AIDS-Reforms.aspx|title=Zuma announces AIDS reforms|publisher=UNPAN|access-date=9 March 2010|archive-date=27 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227121601/http://www.unpan.org/Regions/Africa/PublicAdministrationNews/tabid/113/mctl/ArticleView/ModuleId/1460/articleId/21146/Zuma-Announces-NHI-AIDS-Reforms.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> and by 2015, South Africa had made significant progress, with the widespread availability of [[Management of HIV/AIDS|antiretroviral drugs]] resulted in an increase in life expectancy from 52.1 years to 62.5 years.<ref name="conversationHIVExcelled">{{cite web|url=https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-excelled-in-treating-hiv-prevention-remains-a-disaster-51501|title=South Africa has excelled in treating HIV – prevention remains a disaster|first=Saiqa|last=Mullick|date=December 2015 |access-date=12 July 2018|archive-date=12 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180712052403/https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-excelled-in-treating-hiv-prevention-remains-a-disaster-51501|url-status=live}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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