Fighting HIV&AIDS Stigma and Discrimination - Goal 6
Evidence from ANC attendees shows that there has been a positive trend in the level of HIV prevalence across all age groups in the period 1998 to 2004 with the highest prevalence occurring in the age group 25 – 29 years followed by 30 – 34years. However, there was a consistent decline among the age group 15 – 19 years between 2002 and 2006 from 32.5% to 26 % respectively. The prevalence rate in the broad age category of 15 to 24 years decreased between 39.4% in 2002 to 34.6% in 2006. On the contrary HIV prevalence for the age groups 30 – 34 and 35 – 39 years maintained an increase in the same period. Using the age group of 15 -19 and 20 – 24 years as a proxy for HIV/AIDS incidence, it may be inferred that Swaziland is showing decreasing signs from 32.5% in 2002 to 26.0% in 2006.
There has been a significant reduction in the incidence of clinical malaria from 4.1 per 1000 people in 2000 to 2.2 per 1 000 people in 2004. The significant decrease in the incidence of the disease can be attributed to a number of factors including high indoor residual house spraying coverage, erratic rainfall trends, improved public consciousness and awareness in affected communities. The number of laboratory confirmed cases has dropped from an average of 4, 000 per year during the period 1995 – 2000 to less than 300 per year during the 2004/05 malaria transmission season.
Tuberculosis has become one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among adults in Swaziland. The number of TB cases notified in Swaziland over the last 15 years has increased six-fold. In 2000 the prevalence rate of TB was estimated at 856 per 100, 0000 people rising to 1182 per 100, 000 in 2006.
It is estimated that approximately 36% of households in 2006 had access to an improved source of water and 47% lacked access to improved sanitation. There has been a significant increase in the incidence of diarrhoeal diseases from 177 cases per 1, 000 people in 2001 to 279 cases per 1, 000 in 2006. With the exception of Malaria, the country has not made significant progress towards achieving this MDG Goal.
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