Female deaths due to HIV/Aids quadrupled from 1997 to 2004, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said on Friday.
Speaking at the Gauteng Aids summit in Boksburg, Dr Hester Phillips of Stats SA said the very sharp increase in death rate due to HIV and related diseases is of great concern.
”There is also a huge increase in mortality in women in prime ages of reproduction,” she said.
Despite the finding released recently by Stats SA, Dr Phillips said there was still no precise estimate of HIV/Aids-related deaths in South Africa.
”We cannot estimate the extent of the disease if we are not diligent in describing the cause of death,” she said.
Medical practitioners should spend more time filling out death certificates, as often what is on the certificate is not the exact cause of death, she said. — Sapa