Aids Health Foundation explains high HIV stats in KZN
An HIV/Aids advocacy group says KwaZulu-Natal having more than a million people living with HIV, can be attributed to the fact that people are living longer because they have access to anti-retroviral treatment.
A recent study in Washington found that 17% of South Africans between the ages of 15 and 49 are HIV positive.
Our province has R1.4-million people between 15 and 49 living with HIV.
It's the highest number compared to other provinces.
The study found that Mgungundlovu District has the highest prevalence rate on the continent.
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Larissa Klazinga, who's with the Aids Healthcare Foundation, says some have been on treatment for many years.
"One of the things that we know is that the Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal has confirmed that there are already over one-million people receiving anti-retroviral medication through the Department of Health. Antiretroviral medication works extremely well at our iThembalabantu Clinic in Umlazi to treat over 16 000 people," she said.
Klazinga says people who started medication 15, 16 years ago are now completely healthy, stable and are productive.