Aids in 2005: 30% of the SA workforce will be HIV positiv

AIDS will drive down the life expectancy of a South African woman to 43 in 2005, NMG-Levy's annual report on labour relations and employee benefits said. According to the report South Africa's women, with a life expectancy of 54 in 1999, will only survive until the age of 37 in 2010, while men would survive until 38. "The population of those aged 15 and below will be relatively large, as will the population of seniors aged 50 and above," the report said. "The pandemic will take a dramatic toll on the most productive members of the population, those in their 20s, 30s and 40s." The report predicts that close to 30% of South Africa's work force will be HIV positive in 2005. It said by 2010, one million South Africans would be sick with Aids, while six million would already have died from Aids-related diseases. The report, now in its 20th year, is seen as a reliable barometer for comparative and predictive purposes. Information and analysis are assembled in three sections -- labour relations developments, employee developments and human resource management. Each contribution is written and researched by experts in the field. (Mail&Guardian)