CDC's HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Programs in South Africa

CDC South Africa's Care and Treatment portfolio includes HIV and AIDS and tuberculosis programs. The South African National Strategic Plan confirms the government's goal for universal access to antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Over the past few years, South Africa has embarked on the largest ART roll-out programme in the world. The immediate benefits of ART provision are already evident in the large reductions of AIDS deaths among people living with HIV. The scale-up of ART has also the potential to reduce HIV incidence, since effective treatment reduces viral loads and, as a consequence, the infectiousness of infected individuals. However, the 2012 HSRC Report recommends that while South Africa’s efforts to further expand antiretroviral treatment programmes should be commended, the high rates of new infections and the trends of increased HIV risk behaviour in the country suggest an evolving complacency among people at risk for HIV infection. Interventions to counter potential behavioural risk compensation (i.e., an increase in risky behaviour) in the era of a successful ART roll-out programme are urgently required.

Our HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Activities