HIV Rates Hamper World Cup Preparations

The Aids crisis in South Africa is reportedly damaging the £21bn stadium and infrastructure building project ahead of the country hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

New Civil Engineer magazine will report tomorrow that South African construction firms are struggling to find enough local engineers and technicians to cope with the building boom in the nine host cities.

The South African government has pledged to try and help previously disadvantaged social groups in the country to profit from the tournament and international firms are being required to hire local workers.

However, several engineering consultants told the magazine that they were alarmed at the rates of HIV infection among South Africa's student population. The disease threatened to kill off a generation of young engineers at a time when they were in great demand, they said, speaking anonymously.

Around 5.5 million South Africans, one in 11 of the population, are infected with HIV.

Organisers of the 2010 World Cup - which will be the first finals held in Africa - claim that the preparations are under control for the tournament, which will bring huge worldwide attention to the country.

However, the problems of a construction "skills gap" are compounded by the fact that it is also proving difficult for firms to attract foreign engineers and workers because they cannot offer salaries as high as in places like Dubai or China.

New Civil Engineer said many South African construction firms were failing to train and educate their work force about HIV and Aids or provide good health support. The Global Business Coalition charity said only 15% of firms in South Africa's building trade had HIV policies in place.

Last week in Johannesburg, the site of the main stadium of the 2010 World Cup, the FNG Stadium, was handed over to the South African construction firm which has won the main contract to carry out a huge revamp. The plan is to increase its capacity to 94 000 and create a roof that covers spectators but leaves the pitch open to the sunlight.

In total, as well as various infrastructure improvement projects in a number of cities, there are plans for the construction of four stadiums and the upgrading of six others and construction is due to start in the next few months.

President Thabo Mbeki has a long history of siding with the HIV denialists, who believe that HIV does not cause Aids. South Africa recently launched a five-year plan to combat Aids that will focus on cutting the number of new infections by half and getting drugs to 80% of those in need by 2011.