The report by the IRR found that indicators including life expectancy, recorded deaths, and the death rate (deaths per 1,000 people in a given year) improved in South Africa since Zuma took over from HIV/Aids denialist, former SA president Thabo Mbeki (pictured above).
Using data from StatsSA, the IRR showes, for example, that life expectancy increased from 58.8 in 2007 to 64.3 in 2015. Over that same period, the death rate fell from 11.6 to 9.6.
IRR demographic analyst, and report editor, Thuthukani Ndebele said that “the data shows an important success that the Zuma administration achieved in health policy”.
Mr Ndebele says his report also shows “the potential economic benefits that South Africa could draw from what was a very youthful population”.
He explains: “With appropriate education, economic, and empowerment policies, it should be possible to accelerate young people into the middle classes where, as entrepreneurs and consumers, they could drive the growth of the economy. Unfortunately, too few of those policies are effective with the result that the youth are too often regarded as a threat – or drain – to our society when they should be regarded as a powerful economic asset.”
