South Africa\\\'s life expectancy jumps to 61.2 years

Life expectancy in AIDS-hit South Africa has shot up sharply over the past decade, thanks to life prolonging anti-retroviral (ARVs) treatment, latest estimates from the country's statistics agency showed. South Africans are on average living up to 61.2 years compared to 52.2 years some 10 years ago. ‘For 2014 life expectancy at birth is estimated at 59.1 years for males and 63.1 years for females,’ said Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) in an annual demographics report. ‘This increase in life expectancy at birth is expected to continue.’ With the mass rollout of ARVs, the number of HIV-related death declined to 31.1 percent this year from 50.8 in 2005. Under the former presidency of Thabo Mbeki, South Africa refused to roll out state sponsored AIDS drugs. The treatment was so expensive that it was only accessible to the well-heeled, according to AFP.