Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - August 29, 2006
Futhi Ntshingila
The survey tested the willingness of South Africans to pay a hypothetical tax for HIV/Aids treatment.
The HSRC interviewed 16065 adults aged 15 years and older, asking them if they would be prepared to contribute to a tax if the government considered it an option to increase the treatment of HIV/Aids patients.
The support varied by race, with Africans more likely to support it than whites and Indians, the latter two groups having a much lower HIV prevalence.
The survey found that 47.7% of Africans would support a tax of R80 a month. A total of 24% opposed it, and 27.9% were non-comittal.
A total of 33.3% Indians supported the idea, with 45.8% opposed to it. Among whites, 31.4% supported it and 52.2 % opposed it.
"We found that one in five South Africans believed that the government's spending on HIV/Aids relative to other health problems was too low," said Dr Olive Shisana, CEO and president of the HSRC.
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