The number of deaths registered in SA has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade, providing clear evidence of the effect of the government’s very large HIV/AIDS treatment plan, which now reaches 2.7-million people.
The latest mortality report from Statistics SA, released on Tuesday, shows that 458,933 people died in SA last year, 6.5% less than in 2012 (491,100). It is the lowest number of deaths since 2002, when 502,797 deaths were registered. The report is based on death certificates submitted to the Department of Home Affairs.