South Africa: When Putting AIDS in the Crosshairs, Set Targets

South African civil societies are ready to push the government to honor its commitment, made at this year's UN General Assembly Special Sessions on HIV/AIDS, to set national HIV/AIDS targets. UNGASS met May 31-June 2 so countries could report their progress against the pandemic. At the first special sessions in 2001, UN member states signed a declaration of commitment to take concerted action against HIV/AIDS.

At the end of this year's conference, no clear global HIV/AIDS targets had been set. Wealthy countries balked at committing specific amounts of money to poor nations' HIV/AIDS programs. African countries were reluctant to set exact numbers regarding improved access to treatment. South Africa promised to set national HIV/AIDS targets by the end of the year.

"At the moment, [South Africa] is not managing the pandemic in a comprehensive, coordinated way," said Sipho Mthathi, general secretary of Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). "Infection rates are on the increase in South Africa, and therefore targets are crucial for action planning," she added.

Activists say previous government targets for antiretrovirals (ARVs) were too low, and separate targets are needed for adults and children. The government aimed to have 381,177 people on state-funded ARVs by the end of 2005; only 85,000 were getting ARVs by September 2005. UNAIDS estimates that about 80 percent of South Africans needing ARVs were not receiving them at the end of 2005.

TAC and other civic groups have organized a national civil society conference for October at which NGOs from around the country will write an HIV/AIDS consensus statement to deliver to the government. The document will demand target-based planning, a better national audit of the spread of HIV/AIDS, consultation with NGOs, and strengthening the South African National AIDS Council.

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