The HIV-AIDS pandemic is one of the major causes of death among South Africa's young people, aged between 20 and 44, Government has said.
The HIV-AIDS pandemic is one of the major causes of death among South Africa's young people, aged between 20 and 44, Government has said.
Head of Policy Co-ordination and Advisory Service (PACS) at the Presidency Joel Netshitenzhe said they had conducted research and found that there was sharp increase in HIV-AIDS-related deaths among young South Africans.According to the document - "A Nation in Making" - released by the government, about 15 per cent of deaths in 1997 were due to AIDS-related causes which increased to about 25 per cent in 2001.
More than five million people in South Africa, second only to India, are reported to be afflicted with HIV-AIDS, and scores of people die from the disease everyday, it said.
The document also found an increase in single households (single parent family) and drastic decrease in nuclear households (family with both parents). This is attributed to the fact that more women were independent and had economic means than in the past.
"Indians have been found to have more close family ties and whites the least among all races", Netshitenzhe said.
The document noted that 80 percent of South Africans were religious, with the African traditional church, Zion Christian Church (ZCC), having most members.
(Source:PTI News)
