National Assembly Marks World Aids Day with Calls for Stronger Prevention and Sustainable Healthcare Solutions

As the sponsor of the debate in the National Assembly yesterday on World AIDS Day, the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, said the day is an opportunity to reflect on collective progress, confront the gaps that persist and renew our commitment to ending AIDS.

The theme for this year's AIDS Day is: "Renewed efforts and Sustainable Commitments to AIDS", reinforcing the fact that ending AIDS in South Africa is possible through resilient health systems and meaningful partnership with communities, civil society and people living with AIDS, Dr Motsoaledi said.

Currently, eight million of South Africa's 63 million people live with AIDS.

Dr Motsoaledi announced that South Africa is fortunate to have received support from China, which has provided R60 million to fund a youth programme that will strengthen the availability and distribution of AIDS prevention aids. The programme will expand youth-focused prevention and enhance community outreach to improve literacy and coordinated support to prevent the spread of AIDS, the Minister said.

Another tool in South Africa's arsenal in the fight against AIDS is Lena Capavir, a six-monthly injection intervention. Dr Motsoaledi explained that this new drug will be administered to HIV negative people to ensure that they stay negative throughout their lives. "We are going to launch this programme early next year, either in March or April. Its first recipients would be young girls/women between 15 and 24, pregnant mothers, gays and sex workers," he announced.

Reflecting on the trials and tribulations that AIDS wrought on South African society, Mr Moshome Motubatse of the Umkhonto we Sizwe Party, noted that the history of AIDS in South Africa is one of denialism, activism, scientific breakthroughs, political choices and ordinary families who have buried their loved ones. He recalled that there was a shameful period in this country's history when "intellectuals" debated whether HIV causes AIDS. "This debate was not only absurd, it was also deadly," he remarked.

He further suggested that to curb this epidemic, the country must introduce a health tax and stop relying on foreign aid for its healthcare systems and the wellbeing of its citizens.

Ms Michelle Clarke of the Democratic Alliance said World AIDS Day is a solemn reminder of millions of South Africans whose lives depend on our public healthcare system. She noted that South Africa has the largest population of people living with AIDS in the world. A situation compounded by the recent US freeze of Aids-related funding, which has severely affected South Africa's HIV/AIDS healthcare system. She also noted various government shortcomings in dealing with this chronic healthcare crisis.

Also participating in the debate for the Economic Freedom Fighters, Ms Naledi Chirwa-Mpungose amplified government shortcomings in mitigating the spread of AIDS. She said of the millions living with Aids, only 78% of them receive treatment and 170 000 new infections have been recorded in the last reporting period.

This demonstrates that efforts to strengthen prevention are insufficient. At the heart of this failure is the Department of Health's compromised prevention plan, Ms Chirwa-Mpungose alleged. As a result, South Africa treatment rate is still stuck on 70%, while other countries are at 90%. She urged the minister to bring back the various media-based campaigns to revive the message on prevention.

The public will judge us not on how we speak about this scourge, but how committed we are to protecting lives when the spotlight of the day fades, declared Ms Nompumelelo Mhlongo of the Inkatha Freedom Party.

Ms Sheila Peters of the Patriotic Alliance welcomed the strides South Africa has made in preventing the spread of AIDS. "We have the biggest antiretroviral programme in the world and mother-to-child infection has decreased. Their life expectancy has improved and those who used to suffer in silence can now speak out with dignity," she said. However, challenges persist and "we should not let financial constrains to erode human lives. Our response to AIDS must transform from dependency to sustainability."

Abel Mputing
4 December 2025