 
August 17, 2009
AIDS Might Account for as Much as 61% of Deaths in South Africa
AIDS-related deaths have been miscalculated in South Africa and could be responsible for as much as 62 percent of deaths in that country, according to a University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, study reported on by the Harare Tribune.
The study revealed that AIDS-related deaths are presently being incorrectly classified as pneumonia or diarrhea on death certificates. The primary cause of death was compared with medical records of 683 deaths in the South African townships of Bonteheuwel and Langa between June 2003 and May 2004. Of 129 AIDS-related deaths, only about 27 percent were actually attributed to AIDS on death certificates.
Although the new research shows that HIV/AIDS loss is as high as 61 percent, previous South African statistics estimate the death rate to be 2.4 percent.
“Underestimating the full impact of HIV/AIDS influences policies, and more importantly, how budgeting for HIV/AIDS is done,” said Lené Burger, MD, of the University of Stellenbosch.
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