Situation in South Africa

Latest information about the health care situation in the Western Cape, South Africa and worldwide
CIA Factbook World Ranking
World Ranking of numbers of HIV and AIDS deaths. South Africa ranks first with the highest number of deaths.

HIV/AIDS in South Africa
Up to date history on HIV and AIDS in South Africa (1980s-2005), treatment and prevention information, children with HIV, stigma, prevention, treatment, denialism and misinformation in the South African government, gender inequality information. 

South African Health
Official government site regarding causes of AIDS, budgeting, AIDS information, mother to child transmission, treating people with HIV and Aids, and discrimination against people affected by HIV and Aids.

Q&A: Access to HIV/AIDS Care in South Africa
Information on HIV and Aids health care services in South Africa regarding aspects of  availability, expense, quality & effectiveness.

The TB/HIV time bomb: A dual epidemic explodes in South Africa
An informative article explaining the connection between HIV and TB in South Africans affected by HIV and Aids

Health 24: HIV/AIDS
A comprehensive site with life stories, articles, information on stigma, culture, sex life, counseling, transmission, news, video and audio recordings on life with HIV and Aids, and HIV test information.

Situation in the Western Cape
The provincial health budget allocates approximately one third of the provincial budget to the Department of Health.  Health insurance is not universal and the province provides clinic access for those without coverage, including immigrants.  Services in the Western Cape are focused “on primary-level services, community-based care and preventative care” (Provincial Government of the Western Cape website).  The clinics operate on a nurse driven (for diagnosis, prescription and treatment) models with part-time or specialised (i.e., TB) doctors on staff.  More full-time doctors are found in the larger clinics and day hospitals.


















The HOPE Cape Town Community Health Care Workers are located in the clinics or Primary Health facilities that average 12 million visits per year in the Western Cape.  The Western Cape Province records the highest level of clinic visits/client/year: 3 visits versus the national average of 2.3 visits.  Thus the addition of the HOPE Cape Town Community Health Worker to 16 of the more than 300 provincial faculties identifies a need and an effective response.  Hope Cape Town Association plans to expand to 25 Community Health Workers in 20 clinics.  In addition to training in HIV and Aids, the HOPE Cape Town training includes TB as the Western Cape Province has significantly high infection rates and TB is associated as an opportunistic infection.

The HIV and AIDS prevalence rate in the Western Province has risen from 7.8% in 2003 to 15.2% in 2006.

Situation Worldwide

Source: www.pbs.org

The number of people dying from Aids yearly, per country
1 South Africa 370,000
2 India 310,000
3 Nigeria 310,000
4 Zimbabwe 170,000
5 Tanzania 160,000
6 Kenya 150,000
7 Ethiopia 120,000
8 Mozambique 110,000
9 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 100,000
10 Zambia 89,000
11 Malawi 84,000
12 Uganda 78,000
13 Thailand 58,000
14 Cameroon 49,000
15 Cote d'Ivoire 47,000
16 China 44,000
17 Botswana 33,000
18 Ghana 30,000
19 Lesotho 29,000
20 Burkina Faso 29,000
21 Burundi 25,000
22 Haiti 24,000
23 Central African Republic 23,000
24 Sudan 23,000
25 Rwanda 22,000

© 2000 - 2011
HOPE Cape Town Association
Public Benefit Organisation (SA) No 18/11/13/4709
Non Profit Organisation (SA) No 031-599NPO