South Africa

=== Health ===
{{Main|Health in South Africa|Healthcare in South Africa}}
[[File:Tygerberg from air.jpg|thumb|[[Tygerberg Hospital]] in [[Parow, South Africa|Parow, Cape Town]]]]
According to the [[South African Institute of Race Relations]], the life expectancy in 2009 was 71 years for a white South African and 48 years for a black South African.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hsrc.ac.za/News-document-1426.phtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516165837/http://www.hsrc.ac.za/News-document-1426.phtml|url-status=dead|title=Peoples Budget Coalition Comments on the 2011/12 Budget|archive-date=16 May 2012}}</ref> The healthcare spending in the country is about 9% of GDP.<ref name="smartpl">{{cite web|title='Clinic-in-a-Box' seeks to improve South African healthcare|url=http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/global-observer/-8216clinic-in-a-box-seeks-to-improve-south-african-healthcare/12844|publisher=SmartPlanet|access-date=25 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730011508/http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/global-observer/-8216clinic-in-a-box-seeks-to-improve-south-african-healthcare/12844|archive-date=30 July 2013 }}</ref> About 84% of the population depends on the public healthcare system,<ref name="smartpl" /> which is beset with chronic human resource shortages and limited resources.<ref name="icap">{{cite web|title=South Africa|url=http://icap.columbia.edu/where-we-work/south-africa|publisher=ICAP at Columbia University|access-date=25 August 2013|archive-date=13 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130713041358/http://icap.columbia.edu/where-we-work/south-africa|url-status=live}}</ref> About 20% of the population use private healthcare.<ref name="fmhealth" /> Only 16% of the population are covered by [[health insurance|medical aid schemes]];<ref name="medicl">{{cite web|title=What does the demand for healthcare look like in SA?|url=http://www.mediclinic.co.za/about/Documents/ECONEX%20NHInote%203.pdf|publisher=Mediclinic Southern Africa|access-date=25 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002145453/http://www.mediclinic.co.za/about/Documents/ECONEX%20NHInote%203.pdf|archive-date=2 October 2013 }}</ref> the rest pay for private care [[Out-of-pocket expense|out-of-pocket]] or through in-hospital-only plans.<ref name="fmhealth">{{cite web|title=Motsoaledi to reform private health care|url=http://www.fm.co.za/fm/CoverStory/2013/07/04/motsoaledi-to-reform-private-health-care|publisher=Financial Mail|access-date=25 August 2013|archive-date=7 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707152200/http://www.fm.co.za/fm/CoverStory/2013/07/04/motsoaledi-to-reform-private-health-care|url-status=live}}</ref> The three dominant hospital groups, [[Mediclinic International|Mediclinic]], [[LIFE Healthcare Group|Life Healthcare]] and [[Netcare]], together control 75% of the private hospital market.<ref name="fmhealth" />

==== 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&nbsp;– 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&nbsp;– 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>