Johannesburg - South Africa's Medical Research Council said yesterday it would release official figures on AIDS-related deaths between 1997 and 2000 by end of the year.
The statement came two days after local media published a report, citing the Council, saying AIDS was now the leading cause of death in South Africa.
Last week, the South African President, Mr Thabo Mbeki, who has attracted a storm of controversy for questioning the link between HIV and AIDS, once again stated AIDS was not the country's biggest killer.
