Article Sidebar
Article Details
Copyright remains in the Author’s name. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial Works License. Authors are required to complete and sign an Author Agreement form that outlines Author and Publisher rights and terms of publication. The Agreement form should be uploaded along with other submissions files and any submission will be considered incomplete without it [forthcoming].
Material submitted for publication in the SAMJ is accepted provided it has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Please inform the editorial team if the main findings of your paper have been presented at a conference and published in abstract form, to avoid copyright infringement. The SAMJ does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the authors.
Previously published images
If an image/figure has been previously published, permission to reproduce or alter it must be obtained by the authors from the original publisher and the figure legend must give full credit to the original source. This credit should be accompanied by a letter indicating that permission to reproduce the image has been granted to the author/s. This letter should be uploaded as a supplementary file during submission.
Main Article Content
Prevalence of HIV in workforces in southern Africa, 2000 - 2001
Abstract
Methods. Voluntary, anonymous, unlinked seroprevalence surveys of 34 workforces with 44 000 employees were carried out in South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia in 2000 - 2001. Results were stratified to obtain estimates of prevalence by industrial sector, location, age, sex, and job level. Results. Average HIV prevalence for the entire sample was 16.6% (95% CI: 16.3 - 17.0%). Country-wide prevalence was 14.5% (14.1 - 14.9%) in South Africa, 17.9% (17.1 - 18.7%) in Zambia, and 24.6% (23.6 - -25.7%) in Botswana. Among industrial sectors, mining (18.0%, 17.6 - 18.5%) and metal processing (17.3%, 15.9 - 18.7%) had the highest infection rates. Males, who comprised 85% of participants of known sex, were more likely (16.3%, 15.3 - 17.4%) to be infected than were females (10.7%, 8.7 - 12.7%). Contract (23%, 21.9 - 24.1%), unskilled (18.3%, 17.5 - 19.1%), and semi-skilled workers (18.7%, 18.1 - 19.4%) were much more likely to be infected than were skilled workers (10.5%, 9.5 - 11.4%) and managers (4.5%, 3.4 - 5.6%). Participation in the surveys averaged 63% of eligible employees.
Conclusions. HIV prevalence among formally employed workers in southern Africa shows different patterns than among antenatal clinic attendees. Anonymous workplace surveys generate prevalence estimates for demographic groups that are not represented in antenatal surveys and can strengthen support for prevention and treatment interventions.
S Afr Med J 2004; 94: 125-130.
