AIDS crisis deepens in Swaziland

The problem of AIDS in Swaziland is becoming increasingly worse, with new data showing an increase in the number of cases being diagnosed.

This is especially marked in the rising amount of pregnant women to develop HIV infections.

New Swaziland government data has found that 42.2 per cent of pregnant women had HIV last year. In 2004, this figure was at 42.6, but by 2006 it had dropped to 39.2 per cent.

Benedict Xaba, the health minister, said that ideas of how to tackle the problem are running out, AFP reports.

"The figures were alarmingly high, such that we do not know what is the real cause because we have employed every strategy to combat the spread of the epidemic," he stated.

He went on to say that the rate of infection among teenage mothers is stabilising.
"However, the age group 25-39 still shows a steady increase over the years and this is a cause for concern as this is the productive age group," he added.

In 2007, the World Health Organisation estimated that 2.5 million people became newly infected with HIV.