South Africa Targets 50 Percent Cut in HIV Infections

On Tuesday in Cape Town, a senior South African HIV/AIDS official told members of Parliament that the five-year National Strategic Plan to fight HIV will be in place next month.

"It is a statement of intent whose target is, among other things, to reduce new infections by 50 percent and provide an appropriate package of treatment, care, and support services to 80 percent of HIV-positive people by 2011," said Nconde Xundu, the Health Ministry's senior HIV/AIDS official.

Planning has been hindered by the illness of Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, whose relations with nongovernmental AIDS groups and advocates have been rancorous. Xundu's announcement of the national strategy follows by one day President Thabo Mbeki's appointment of Transport Minister Jeff Radebe as the interim health minister.

"Much progress has been made on the plan and its final draft will be forwarded to the National Health Council in the next two weeks," said Xundu. The plan will enlist the help of provincial health officials and nongovernmental organizations, she said.

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