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First ever Burden of Disease Report released in South Africa
MRC Press Release. 14 May 2003.
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A research team from the Medical Research Council of SA (MRC) just completed the first ever Burden of Disease study in South Africa where it estimates that HIV/AIDS accounts for 39% of premature mortality experienced in the year 2000 based on the years of life lost by each person who dies.
"This is the first time that such an approach has been used in South Africa. Such an approach is important for turning incomplete data into information that policy makers can use," said Dr. Debbie Bradshaw, the head of the MRC?’s Burden of Disease research unit.
The research team made use of multiple sources of data and careful analysis of the
differences between them. They used this to derive estimates of the levels of mortality and causes of death experienced in SA.
"Having derived estimates of mortality, the next step was to take the ages at which death
occurred into account and identify the causes of premature mortality. This is important to
focus the public health initiatives needed to improve the health of the nation," said Dr.
Bradshaw.
More than half of the premature mortality can be attributed to four causes; HIV/AIDS,
TB, homicide and road traffic accidents. The rates for all these causes were
exceedingly high when compared with estimates for any region of the world.
The study highlights that without an intervention to extend the lives of people living with AIDS, the total premature mortality burden in SA can be expected to double by 2010.
AIDS will account for as much loss of years of life as all other causes put together.
"Government is urged to finalise and implement its plan for providing treatment to those
who are HIV positive and would benefit from it," said Dr. Bradshaw.
The study displays the quadruple burden of disease experienced in SA: a combination of
pre-transitional diseases and condition related to under-development and poverty, the
emerging chronic diseases associated with affluence, a high injury burden and the
extensive HIV/AIDS epidemic. There is clear need for stronger health promotion and
disease prevention strategies in SA to deal with the quadruple burden that we are facing.
Copies of the full report and further information can be accessed by clicking on the link on the righthand side of this page
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