Johannesburg - The Gauteng department of health welcomed on Wednesday an HIV and Aids study by the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)
“The MEC (for Health Hope Papo) said the report... tells a good story about the work of the public sector health services and the multisectoral response to HIV in the province,” spokesman Simon Zwane said.
He said more people living with HIV are living longer because of the large ARV treatment programme, which was offered in most clinics and hospitals of Gauteng.
HSRC released its finding of the SA National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey 2012, in Pretoria on Tuesday.
Over 38 000 people were interviewed and almost 29 000 agreed to be tested for HIV.
Zwane said another key finding in the report was the significant decline in HIV prevalence among the youth in Gauteng aged 15 to 24 years from 9.0 percent in 2005 to 10.1 percent in 2008 and 5.8 percent in 2012.
“This is an encouragement to the department as it continues to prioritise health interventions among youth in order to prevent new HIV infections,” he said.
The survey noted a slight decline nationally of HIV-prevalence among youth aged 15-24 years, from 8.7 percent in 2008 to 7.3 percent in 2012.
However, it also found that the estimated overall prevalence of HIV nationally increased from 10.6 percent in 2008 to 12.2 percent in 2012.
HIV-prevalence in the 15-49 year age group was 18.8 percent, but was significantly higher in females (23.2 percent) than in males (14.5 percent). - Sapa