Deputy President Paul Mashatile will today address the national commemoration of World Aids Day at Mandeni on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal.
Mashatile who is also the Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) will also lead the launch of the South African Chapter of the Global Alliance to end AIDS in Children.
The event will be attended by communities as well as representatives from development partners such as the UN Agencies, US government and research entities.
With South Africa still leading with the highest number of HIV infections globally, this year’s World AIDS Day aims to encourage investment and strengthen community-led interventions in the fight against AIDS.
Deputy President Shipokosa @PMashatile, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the @SA_AIDSCOUNCIL, will on Friday lead the Official Commemoration of #WorldAIDSDay and Launch of the South African Chapter of the Global Alliance to end AIDS in Children. https://t.co/c8WNrhhd3n pic.twitter.com/Hy2wRHm50U
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) November 28, 2023
Earlier this week, the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) said although KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of people with HIV, it also has the highest percentage of people with a viral load suppression among those living with HIV in the country.
The institution said the country should be concerned about provinces with low viral suppression rates.
Those provinces include the Western Cape, Limpopo, the Northern Cape and Gauteng.
Viral suppression is indicative of adherence to treatment and reduced HIV transmission risk.
The audio file below reports on World Aids Day:
