HIV infections drop significantly in SA
New study reveals a 60% decline among young people
By CLAIRE KEETON – Jun 20, 2010
New HIV infections in South Africa dropped by 35% between 2002 and 2008, a new study reveals. The most striking reduction was a 60% decline among 15 to 24-year-olds. These results – obtained from analysing three national HIV household surveys conducted in South Africa in 2002, 2005 and 2008 – confirm the initial findings of the 2008 survey, SA National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communications Survey: A Turning Tide Among Teenagers?
They provide the first scientific proof that HIV prevention campaigns in South Africa, promoting condom use and HIV testing, are making a dent in the high rate of new infections. “Behaviour change has definitely helped to reduce incidence among young women,” said Professor Thomas Rehle, the lead author of the paper published this week in PLoS One.
HIV incidence may be declining, but South Africa already has a high prevalence of HIV, with about one in seven adults (15%) infected by the virus. Dr Nono Simelela, CEO of the SA National Aids Council, said the latest findings were important. “They suggest we are making progress with behaviour change and treatment. But ours is a mature epidemic and the pool of HIV-positive people is already high.” Simelela suggested the goal of halving new infections – a target in the national HIV-Aids Strategic Plan 2007-2011 – was ambitious.
Dr Sue Goldstein from Soul City said the 2008 survey had hinted at a decrease in incidence and the latest analysis was good news. “I think the decrease, especially in the younger group, means that all the education and communication is coming to fruition – including the Soul Buddyz, Soul Buddyz Club and loveLife, which are making an impact, as well as Soul City. “We do know that there has been a huge increase in the use of condoms among the youth particularly and this, with other safer sexual practices, is starting to show an effect. “We cannot let up, and it is important that older people take their role modelling seriously and focus on all safer sexual behaviours, not just condom use, that is, decrease transactional and inter-generational sex, sex after drinking, multiple concurrent sexual partners and early sexual debut.”
For the first time in the 2008 survey researchers measured how many participants who tested positive for HIV were on anti-retroviral treatment (ART) – and this improved the accuracy of the latest calculations. They found nearly a fifth (17.5%) of the survey participants with HIV had tested positive for anti-retroviral drugs. In January 2005 only 33 000 people were on treatment, but by July 2009 this number had soared to 872 000.
Rehle said: “440 000 HIV-infected South African individuals were alive in 2008 because they were on anti-retroviral treatment and would have been dead otherwise.” People adhering to anti-retroviral treatment are less infectious but the numbers are not yet high enough in South Africa to make an impact on new infections. “Since access to treatment has only increased significantly in recent years, it is expected that such an effect would take longer to develop and require higher levels of ART coverage for an extended period of time,” the authors wrote.
See full details of the study:
Decline in HIV infections in South Africa – A Study
