The number of new HIV infections among South African girls has declined by more than 50 percent over the past five year, a senior health official said on Friday.
South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) co-chairperson Steve Letsike said the number of new weekly infections among girls had dropped from 2,500 in 2015 to 1,200.
“Five years ago we were reporting that we had 2,500 new infections among young girls per week in South Africa but now we are reporting 1,200 new infections per week,” Letsike said during the launch of a UNAIDS report on the state of women ahead of International Women’s Day which falls on Sunday.
He attributed the decline to “treatment and the power and resilience that young girls have these days.”
The official however noted that while the HIV numbers among young girls are dropping, the figures were still unacceptably high.
He said the number of new HIV infections among girls and women aged 15 to 24 has been a major challenge in the HIV/AIDS response in the country, “partly because of the sugar daddy phenomena.”
Most of the young women are often influenced into having unprotected sex by older, often well-to-do, men who offer them money.
NM/jn/APA