Violence is now among the top five causes of death, making South Africa the only country outside the Latin American and Caribbean region able to make this unenviable claim.
Those most at risk of dying because of violence are in the prime of their lives, a group also being decimated by HIV.
Last year, almost 200000 people between the ages of 15 and 49 died either of Aids-related illness or violence, and road injuries and suicides surged more than 200% in 2013 compared with 1990.
The findings are from a global study published by The Lancet this month, which was undertaken by a consortium of international researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle, in the US, and which analysed data from 188 countries.
“Violence is one of the most serious challenges facing South Africa,” said Institute for Security Studies senior research fellow Dr Chandre Gould. “High levels of violence undermine investor confidence, drive up costs in the health sector and have a negative impact on society.”
Gould said there were multiple and complex reasons for high rates of violence and that these could not be addressed only by the police or the criminal justice sector. “Reducing violence is possible, but it requires a comprehensive national plan, adequate resources, and partnerships between the government and civil society. South African society also needs to change attitudes and social norms that encourage violence and discrimination.”…
Related – Injury and violence caused death at ‘epidemic proportion’
South Africa Today – South Africa News
