President Jacob Zuma has extended a warm welcome to all international delegates who are attending the International AIDS Conference which will take place in Durban from Monday.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa‚ the chairman of the South African National Aids Council‚ will officially open the conference on Monday evening and will officiate at the conference on behalf of the government.
Zuma is currently attending the 27th Ordinary Session of African Union Summit in Kigali‚ Rwanda.
“We are pleased that the international community has chosen our country to host this conference again‚” Zuma said in the statement.
Zuma also welcomed United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and the former heads of state and government in the Southern African Development Community.
“We are also pleased to hold several international leaders in the entertainment‚ business‚ labour and other fields who are joining governments to take stock and further advance the fight against HIV and AIDS forward‚’’ Zuma said.
Zuma said South Africa had been making progress in its response to the disease since the policy turnaround in 2009.
On December 1 2009‚ Zuma announced that the country would launch a massive campaign to mobilise all South Africans to get tested for HIV.
The campaign resulted in more than 20 million people being tested.
During that campaign‚ Zuma said all children under one year of age would get treatment if they tested positive in order to reduce infant mortality over time and that all patients with both TB and HIV would get treatment with antiretrovirals if their CD4 count was 350 or less.
“Indeed the rate of mother to child transmission of the virus has been drastically reduced.”
Zuma also said that before December 2009‚ treatment was available when the CD4 count was less than 200.
“These interventions and further work done over the years have yielded results.”
He said the quality of life of people living with HIV had improved dramatically since this policy turnaround in 2009.
“HIV positive persons are living longer and lead healthier lives‚ thanks to wider access to treatment. South Africa has significantly reduced the mother-to-child transmission of HIV‚ thus ensuring healthier babies.”
Zuma said more work still needed to be done to take the campaign forward.
“Government recently launched Phila‚ a massive HIV prevention campaign targeted primarily at young women and girls.”
Zuma said a focus on HIV prevention was important for the country‚ towards the goal of an HIV-free generation.
Zuma said the South African delegation‚ under the leadership of Ramaphosa‚ would share lessons from the progress made‚ and also learn from other delegations on what they could be doing better.
“More importantly‚ the conference begins on Nelson Mandela Day.
“It provides an opportunity to pay tribute to Madiba for the role he played in advancing the fight against AIDS and promoting care and support for those infected and affected.”
The conference ends on Friday.
TMG Digital
Zuma welcomes delegates to International AIDS Conference
President Jacob Zuma has extended a warm welcome to all international delegates who are attending the International AIDS Conference which will take place in Durban from Monday.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa‚ the chairman of the South African National Aids Council‚ will officially open the conference on Monday evening and will officiate at the conference on behalf of the government.
Zuma is currently attending the 27th Ordinary Session of African Union Summit in Kigali‚ Rwanda.
“We are pleased that the international community has chosen our country to host this conference again‚” Zuma said in the statement.
Zuma also welcomed United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and the former heads of state and government in the Southern African Development Community.
“We are also pleased to hold several international leaders in the entertainment‚ business‚ labour and other fields who are joining governments to take stock and further advance the fight against HIV and AIDS forward‚’’ Zuma said.
Zuma said South Africa had been making progress in its response to the disease since the policy turnaround in 2009.
On December 1 2009‚ Zuma announced that the country would launch a massive campaign to mobilise all South Africans to get tested for HIV.
The campaign resulted in more than 20 million people being tested.
During that campaign‚ Zuma said all children under one year of age would get treatment if they tested positive in order to reduce infant mortality over time and that all patients with both TB and HIV would get treatment with antiretrovirals if their CD4 count was 350 or less.
“Indeed the rate of mother to child transmission of the virus has been drastically reduced.”
Zuma also said that before December 2009‚ treatment was available when the CD4 count was less than 200.
“These interventions and further work done over the years have yielded results.”
He said the quality of life of people living with HIV had improved dramatically since this policy turnaround in 2009.
“HIV positive persons are living longer and lead healthier lives‚ thanks to wider access to treatment. South Africa has significantly reduced the mother-to-child transmission of HIV‚ thus ensuring healthier babies.”
Zuma said more work still needed to be done to take the campaign forward.
“Government recently launched Phila‚ a massive HIV prevention campaign targeted primarily at young women and girls.”
Zuma said a focus on HIV prevention was important for the country‚ towards the goal of an HIV-free generation.
Zuma said the South African delegation‚ under the leadership of Ramaphosa‚ would share lessons from the progress made‚ and also learn from other delegations on what they could be doing better.
“More importantly‚ the conference begins on Nelson Mandela Day.
“It provides an opportunity to pay tribute to Madiba for the role he played in advancing the fight against AIDS and promoting care and support for those infected and affected.”
The conference ends on Friday.
TMG Digital
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