South Africa has an estimated HIV prevalence rate of 13 percent, according to a survey published on Thursday.
The survey by Statistics South Africa shows that the country’s total number of persons living with HIV is approximately 7.8 million.
It noted that an estimated 18.7 percent of the population aged between 15-49 is HIV positive.
The latest figures came as the agency released South Africa’s mid-year population which is estimated to have increased to 59.62 million in 2020.
South Africa has the world’s biggest HIV population, but has made some huge improvements in getting people to take tests in recent years.
The country has now met the first of the 90-90-90 targets set by the UN, with 90 percent of people living with HIV aware of their status.
It’s now working to ensure that 90 percent of HIV patients be on antiretroviral treatment (ART) and 90 percent of the patients have a suppressed viral load.
The 90-90-90 target is an important indicator of the success of a country’s HIV response.
South Africa also has the world’s largest ART program, which has undergone further expansion with the implementation of “test and treat” guidelines.
South Africa was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to fully approve PrEP, an HIV prevention drug, which is now being made available to people at high risk of infection.
