While every year under Mbeki saw a decrease in our life expectancy by a year, once he was ousted and the new government adopted an aggressive approach to combatting HIV including widespread access to antiretroviral (ARV) medicine, life expectancy has grown each year by a year. 
Wakati kila mwaka katika kipindi cha urais wa Mbeki wastani wa umri wa kuishi ulikuwa ukipungua kila mwaka, baada ya kung'olewa na serikali mpya kuweka mikakati imara ya kupambana na VVU/UKIMWI ikiwa ni pamoja na kusambaza madawa ya kupunguza makali ya virusi (ARV), wastani wa umri wa kuishi umeongezeka mwaka hadi mwaka.