South Africans living with HIV/Aids are continuing to live longer than before, this according to Statistician General Risenga Maluleke.
Stats SA on Monday released the midyear population estimates for 2018 in Pretoria. The report found that the population is estimated to have increased to 57,73 million in 2018, representing an overall increase of 1,55% between 2017 and 2018.
The report also found that from the total population, 7.5 million people are living with HIV/Aids. Despite the finding, Maluleke says mortality rate in South Africa has gone down since 2006.
He has attributed the increased life expectancy of the persons living with HIV/Aids to proper administration of ARV medicine and change in lifestyle.
“From 2006 the numbers of deaths that are recorded in South Africa are declining, specifically in relation to HIV/AIDS. As of 2018 there are 7.25 million people living with HIV and the number is increasing steadily but not based in the fact that is new infections coming. It is because people living with HIV are leading a normal life, because of the availability of the ARV’s or medication that takes care of those people that are infected with the HIV virus.”
The midyear population estimates for 2018 indicate that the portion of elderly persons aged 60 and older is increasing over time. Life expectancy at birth is currently estimated at 61.1 years old for males and 67.3 for women.
The report emphasised that life expectancy amongst South African men is much lessor as compared to that of women population. Maluleke says men die at an early age than women.
“There are many causes of death that are occurring in South Africa. The leading cause of death of men is TB and women is diabetes as we have released and made available in our report of causes of death.”
It is estimated that Gauteng has the largest share of the growing population, standing at 14.7 million people, meaning 25.5% of the country’s population resides in Gauteng.
24% of the population living in Gauteng is the elderly persons.
Maluleke says Gauteng and Western Cape has experienced the largest inflow of migrants since 2016.
“When we look at other issues we observed that 50% of migration coming from outside South Africa heads towards Gauteng and of course becomes the highest receiver of inter-provincial as well as international migration.”
