S. Africa to host Int'l AIDS Conference

South Africa is to host the 21st International AIDS Conference in the eastern coastal city of Durban in July next year, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Saturday.

The conference will bring together scientists, policymakers, world leaders, and people living with HIV to discuss successes and challenges across the world, Ramaphosa said at the South African National Aids Council (SANAC) Plenary taking place in Kempton Park, Johannesburg.

"Beyond hosting the conference, we expect that South Africa's contribution to global knowledge on HIV, AIDS and TB will be immense," said Ramaphosa.

"There is much that others can learn from our experience, just as we stand to benefit from the great congregation of people who will gather there from around the world," he added.

The SANAC Plenary took place on the eve of the World AIDS Day.

"We hope that this year, we can use World AIDS Day to focus attention on the many local projects, programmes and initiatives that are making a real difference in this struggle," Ramaphosa said.

Reviewing the progress in fighting against HIV in South Africa, he said the country continued to expand its HIV treatment programme, with over three million people on antiretroviral treatment and has reduced mother-to-child transmission further.

South Africa is currently implementing the largest antiretroviral treatment program in the world.

"Yet we are still struggling to reduce rates of transmission, particularly among young women.

"All TB indicators are improving, but there is still a great deal to reach our targets," Ramaphosa said.

The HIV incidence rate among female youth aged 15-24 years was over four times higher than for males in this age group (2.5 percent vs. 0.6 percent), according to a 2014 survey.

It should be acknowledged that South Africa has not yet succeeded in finding suitable mechanisms to ensure that civil society formations are adequately resourced and capacitated to do the critical work that is expected of them.

The plenary will produce a report on the development of a Private Sector Engagement Strategy to ensure the private sector is more extensively involved in the national AIDS response, according to Ramaphosa.

In the past, the engagement of the private sector in the AIDS response has been fragmented, with the result that its impact has been less than optimal, he said.

A key recommendation from the strategy is that SANAC needs to strengthen its relationship with private sector leadership and begin to re-engage with business leaders at all levels,said Ramaphosa.

"We must continue to be seized with this issue," he said.

This, coupled with a strong and relevant communications strategy, will drive a process of continuous engagement with the business sector, Ramaphosa said.

The meeting will also discuss the South African National Sex Worker HIV Programme, which seeks to address the high rates of prevalence particularly among female sex workers.

This is essential work, because the value of SANAC lies in its ability to bring together all stakeholders, across the country, and all communities, to coordinate efforts to combat HIV and TB, said Ramaphosa.

"It is simply not sufficient for SANAC to operate at a national level.

"It is at a provincial and local level where much of the work is done. It his here where the most resources are needed and where collaboration is most important," he noted.

South Africa, with a population of 53 million, has an estimated 6. 4 million people living with HIV/AIDS, the highest prevalence in the world. Enditem