Cape Town — South African Health officials have vowed to treat 1.1 million people living with HIV by December this year, as the country lags behind the United Nations Aids (UNAids) combat targets for HIV/AIDS.
The Department of Health revealed that 96% of people living with HIV know their status, while 79% are on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and 94% of those on treatment are virally suppressed, The Citizen reported.
According to Minister of Health, Aaron Motsoaledi, HIV/AIDS should not be seen as a permanent disease but rather something that can be treated and eliminated.
“We must not reach a point where we accept HIV/Aids as something that will be with us forever. We can eradicate it – but only if we refuse to accept its continued presence,” he said.
He said HIV elimination was possible provided there was collective will, investment and engagement, and said the world has accepted living with diseases that could have been eradicated.
“We know there are people living with HIV and they continue to be among us. They have found the courage to face this reality and they are living normal lives. However, we are saying we can stop its spread.”
Tomorrow the Minister of Health Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi will officially launch the multisectoral “Close the Gap” HIV Treatment campaign at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg. #CloseTheGap#BetterMen4Tomorrow pic.twitter.com/QAU6CXihFf
— SANAC (@SA_AIDSCOUNCIL) February 24, 2025
Anne Githuku-Shongwe, UNAids regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa, acknowledged South Africa had not yet met its targets but highlighted its HIV treatment programme as the largest globally. South Africa has 1/5 of all people living with HIV and on ARVs globally.
She said the 1.1 million campaign to treat people is ambitious, especially following the disruption to services.
She said it was important for South Africa to plug the 17% gap that has been left by the cutting of the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) funding. If South Africa has not yet done so by 2028, there could be up to 64 000 new HIV infections that could have been prevented.
According to SABC News, the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) said it would mobilise its members across the country to find 1.1 million people who are not on HIV treatment, according to SANAC CEO Thembisile Xulu.
“The targets have been broken down to meet not just the 2025 targets but also the 2028 plan, by province, by district and by facility so that it’s easier for them to find, because the facilities know their patients and if they work with all the stakeholders like the traditional healers and leaders they will be able to find them and bring them back on care,” Xulu said.
LIVE: Tackling the Intersection of Gender-Based Violence and HIV in South Africa hybrid webinar hosted by @GBVF_Fund in collaboration with SANAC is currently underway in Sandton. Follow the engagements live here:https://t.co/Chi0xKtrIX
— SANAC (@SA_AIDSCOUNCIL) February 26, 2025
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
