More S. African pregnant women contracting HIV: Study
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In this photo taken on Nov 15, 2012, Christinah Motsoahae has blood taken for testing, at the US sponsored Right to Care, Themba Lethu, HIV/Aids Clinic, at the Helen Joseph hospital, in Johannesburg. A new study on Dec 10 showed increased HIV infection rates among pregnant women living in areas with high migrant labour in South Africa, the country with one of the world's highest caseloads. -- PHOTO: AP
JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - A new study on Monday showed increased HIV infection rates among pregnant women living in areas with high migrant labour in South Africa, the country with one of the world's highest caseloads.
Infections in the eastern province of Mpumalanga jumped from 34.7 per cent in 2009 to 36.7 per cent.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said some of the districts in these areas had rates above the national antenatal HIV prevalence rate of 29.5 per cent.
"In areas where we see new mining operations, news towns, constructions and new people coming in, we expect something like this higher prevalence rate to happen," said Mr Motsoaledi.
