Report confirms SA Aids devastation

The impact of Aids touches all South Africans

A controversial report has finally been released by South Africa's leading medical research body, detailing the shattering impact of the Aids HIV virus.

The report, a copy of which was leaked to the South African media more than a week ago, is warning that between five and seven million South Africans could die from Aids by 2010.

President Mbeki questions the link between HIV and Aids

Many experts say it gives the most authoritative picture so far of the impact of the disease.

But the government says its findings are not reliable and its release was delayed for several weeks, apparently because of government pressure.

The Medical Research Council, which is largely government funded, says that about 40% per cent of adult deaths in South Africa are now caused by Aids.

Doubts

But South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki, has well publicised doubts about the link between HIV and Aids, and he is yet to be convinced of the scale of the epidemic.

Source: Medical Research Council

Ministers close to the president have disputed the methodology used by the MRC, but Aids activists and doctors are dismayed by the row.

Church leaders and trade unions say that time and energy are being wasted, when action to stop the spread of Aids should be the priority.

South Africa has one of the highest numbers of Aids and HIV sufferers in the world - officially estimated at 4.7 million.