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Risky behaviour could be behind high rate of natural deaths

Cape Town - Risky behaviour could be contributing to the high rate of natural deaths among the youth, Deputy Minister in the Presidency Buti Manamela said on Wednesday.

He pointed to a link between HIV/Aids and TB and irresponsible behaviour.

Manamela was responding to a Statistics SA report which found a total of 77 822 South Africans between the ages of 15 and 34 years died in 2013, the majority of whom were black or coloured.

Natural causes were the most common cause of death, while unnatural causes contributed less than 30% of all deaths.

“Social development did a survey some time ago that showed that 49% of young people below the age of 18 were exposed to alcohol which led them to abuse [it], to experiment with drugs and engage in unprotected sex, that led to teenage pregnancies and contracting HIV,” he said.

“The abuse of alcohol is also a cause for car accidents because young people drink and get behind the wheel. That is another issue that we need to look at in addressing the risky behaviour amongst young people, and how that has actually led to unnatural causes of death.”

Violence as a result of these factors is also a cause for concern, he said. 

“Conflict resolution and mediation is one of the ways in which we can help young people to realise that violence is not the way to resolve conflict, [no matter] what forms of conflict they may encounter.”

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