ARV supply set to triple: South Africa's new plan to tackle HIV

Source: Pexels

This announcement follows a memorandum submitted by the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) during a World Aids Day event in the Eastern Cape.

“At least 30% of people living with HIV must be receiving a six-month supply by the end of June 2025,” the memorandum read.

The intention was endorsed by Deputy President Paul Mashatile who delivered the keynote address during the official commemoration of World Aids Day on Sunday at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape.

He called for increased HIV screening as government seeks to link 1.1 million people to treatment. He said doing so will enable the government to reach the UNAIDS targets of 95-95-95, ensuring that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% are on treatment, and 95% are virally suppressed.

"Our country remains the epicentre of HIV and is among those with the highest TB burden. There are nearly eight million people living with HIV, and TB remains the leading cause of death, claiming about 56,000 lives a year," he said.

Mashatile added that HIV is particularly prevalent among young people, especially adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24, with 1,300 new cases reported each week. In contrast, the infection rate among boys in the same age group is nearly three times lower, highlighting the increased vulnerability of girls to HIV.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said he would consider the proposal of a six-month supply of ARVs: "We will definitely look into it so that we can put aside anything that's an obstacle for us reaching our 95-95-95 goal. It's not something we can argue against; we will sit down and look into it."

According to the TAC memorandum, rollout of the newly proposed regimen must start before the end of 2024.