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Poverty and vulnerability are two issues
that need to be addressed in Mpumalanga. It is evident from the
indicators that the provinces development, while not lagging behind
national development levels, could be
improved.
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| Household Income, Unemployment &
Literacy |
The annual household income for the province remains fairly
low, with most households earning less than R18 000 per annum. Adult
literacy has improved in the past two decades, but still remains
below the national average and many scholars do
not complete their matriculation exams. Approximately 33% of the provinces
population is unemployed, while a significant part of
the employed population is under the age
of 15 years, children that should be attending school
classes.
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| Life
Expectancy & Notifiable Diseases |
Life expectancy in the province has dropped
since 1991, to 53.5 years in 1996. Of the four notifiable diseases
reported in the 2003 Mpumalanga SoER, tuberculosis consistently
shows the highest number of reported cases, while malaria shows
strong seasonal changes in cases notified, with the summer months of
January to April showing the highest number of cases reported each
year. Although there are discrepancies in the prevalence of HIV /
AIDS reported in the province, with the Department of Health
reporting 30% prevalence while the HSRC reporting only 14%, it is
expected that HIV / AIDS will ultimately have an impact on the
average life expectancy in the province.
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| Services Provided |
The level of services in Mpumalanga varies
between services with most households relying on pit latrines for
sanitation. Tapped water is common in most district municipalities,
while many households in Sekhukhune District Municipality
however make use of natural water sources. Formal housing is the
predominant type, and although some people still rely on paraffin for
cooking and candles for lighting, electrification is increasing and
is the dominant energy source used in the province. Many households
still have no refuse removal services, while the majority of
households have access to public telephones rather than having one
in
their own homes.
The indicators selected to reflect poverty
and vulnerability
in Mpumalanga Province are listed below,
namely:
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