Aids 'kills one in three' in South Africa

BBC News:

Almost one in three deaths in South Africa are caused by Aids making it the leading killer, according to research.

In two provinces, the figure is as high as 40%, says an unreleased report by South Africa's Medical Research Council.

Research was based on the study of death statistics for the year 2000.

A researcher admitted that the report relied partly on estimations, since Aids-related deaths are not always identified on death certificates.

South African media have obtained the document, but the government had declined to comment before the report is released officially.

"HIV/Aids is the leading cause of death and premature mortality for all provinces," the document states.

"The high death rates due to HIV/Aids highlight the urgency to accelerate the implementation of the comprehensive plan for the treatment and prevention of HIV and Aids," the report argues.

The MRC report is the first to include a provincial breakdown of Aids-related deaths.

In KwaZulu-Natal province, 41.5 % of deaths are attributable to Aids, followed by Mpumalanga with 40.7 percent, the report says.

In Gauteng, South Africa's economic heartland, Aids accounts for 32.5% of deaths, according to the report.

HIV/AIDS is the biggest killers in every South African province except the Western Cape

Report finds AIDS rampant in Africa