It is estimated that the proportion of Aids-related deaths has declined by almost half, from 30.6% of all deaths in 2002 to just over 15% in 2020. News24 reports that statistician-general Risenga Maluleke released the Mid-Year Population Estimates (MYPE) for 2020, which look at different statistics between 1 July 2019 and 30 June 2020. In his presentation, Maluleke looked at the proportion of Aids-related deaths, and the total number of estimated deaths over time.
Since the peak of Aids-related deaths in 2006, the number linked to the disease has been declining steadily year on year, according to the report. It is also estimated, however, that the number of people living with HIV has increased since 2002.
In 2002, according to the report, there were an estimated 3.8m people living with HIV. In 2020, the total number is estimated to be approximately 7.8m, Maluleke said. The estimated overall prevalence rate of HIV is approximately 13% among the South African population.
Maluleke says that, because this year's data had not yet been completed, COVID-19-related deaths were not added to the estimates, but would be added for next year's MYPE.
Life expectancy at birth has been on the increase since 2007, with an estimated average lifespan of 62.5 years for males and 68.5 years for females.
[link url="https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/aids-related-deaths-decline-by-almost-half-since-early-2000s-says-stats-sa-20200709"]Full News24 report[/link]
[link url="http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/MYPE%202020%20Presentation.pdf"]StatsSA material[/link]