This was disclosed yesterday by Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi at the release of the 2008 National Antenatal HIV and Syphilis Prevalence Survey in Pretoria.

Key findings of the report included:

• Overall, HIV infection rates among pregnant women countrywide have stabilised over the past three years - rising from 29.1% in 2006 to 29.4% in 2007, and then dropping to 29.3% last year.

• The incidence of HIV infection among pregnant teens between the ages of 15 to 19 increased from 13.1% in 2007 to 14% last year. This is despite the fact that the use of condoms among teens is increasing (80% of teens surveyed last year said they used condoms, up from 50% recorded in 2002.)

• The age category with the highest prevalence of HIV - expectant mothers between the ages of 30 and 34 - showed an increase from 39.65% in 2007 to 40.4% last year.

• HIV prevalence in KwaZulu-Natal - which is again the worst-affected province - has stabilised over the two-year period at 38.7%. Mpumalanga was the second worst-hit province with an HIV prevalence of 35.5% last year, up from 34.6% in 2007. The Western Cape recorded the lowest prevalence in the country, with an infection rate of 16.1% last year, compared with 15.3% in 2007.

• uMgungundlovu (Pietermaritzburg) has the highest prevalence of HIV-infections countrywide, at 45.7%.

Commenting on the study, Motsoaledi said he was encouraged by the fact that the overall rate of HIV prevalence among pregnant women had stabilised, but that serious effort was needed to stem the virus' spread.

"Although the increase in HIV prevalence among mothers has been stabilising over the past three years, it still remains unacceptably high. Among young mothers these figures tell you that the increase in [infection] among young girls show they are sexually active and that the message of prevention has not filtered through yet.

"I'm sitting here with hope, not despair, that next time we meet here again we will see a significant change in our figures."

Referring to KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, the minister said the government appeared to be losing the battle.

"What cannot be contested is that the burden of HIV/Aids is weighing heavily on the shoulders of our country. We seem to be losing the battle, but not yet the war, in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga," he said.