Medical

MBABANE – Despite the country’s efforts in place to prevent the spread of HIV, it still remains the number one killer among men.

This was revealed yesterday by Nolwazi Dlamini, a Statistician from the Central Statistical Office (CSO). She was speaking during the launch of the 8^th Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day.

Dlamini said this is according to the statistics which were revealed in the 2023-24 Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Report. HIV accounts for 14.9 per cent of deaths in men. The burden of HIV was heaviest in the 30–39 age group, where it contributed 23.7 per cent of deaths.

However, HIV-related deaths outside hospitals were frequently unclassified, raising concerns about the accuracy of data from community-reported deaths.

Dlamini also said the second highest killer of men is hypertension, adding that this is according to statistics, provided through the Ministry of Health.

However, Dlamini stated that there were still deaths which were not being recorded. She said this is because these deaths were happening outside the hospital.

Noteworthy, Eswatini is one of the countries known for having the highest HIV prevalence.

About 118 men are said to have died due to HIV according to the report, translating to two people every week. In total, in addition to the number of women who also died, the number is 218.

Also, other leading causes of death in men are hypertension and diabetes mellitus with 64 and 56 deaths respectively. Meningitis was the least cause of death with 14 deaths recorded for the year.

Meanwhile, the leading cause of deaths according to the report were respiratory diseases and injuries. For children under  the age of five, the major cause of death was respiratory diseases.

While Eswatini continues to battle HIV as the leading cause of death among men, the challenge is not unique to the kingdom.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, men are less likely than women to test for HIV, start treatment or remain on antiretroviral therapy, leaving them to be at higher risk of AIDS-related deaths.

Countries such as Kenya and South Africa have introduced targeted male-focused initiatives, including workplace testing drives, mobile clinics in hard-to-reach rural areas and campaigns that frame treatment as a tool for strength and family responsibility rather than stigma.

In Botswana, the government has combined widespread HIV testing with universal access to treatment and prevention services such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), achieving some of the highest rates of viral suppression in the region.

These approaches highlight that reducing HIV-related deaths among men requires not only medication access but also cultural and behavioural interventions designed to engage men early and keep them in care.

Full article available in our publication.

Minister for Home Affairs Princess Lindiwe (L) receiving the 2023-24 civil registration and vital statistics report from Director of the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Thembinkosi Shabalala. (Pics: Joseph Zulu)