Mashatile urges renewed fight against HIV

Deputy President Paul Mashatile used his World AIDS Day keynote address on Monday to highlight South Africa’s progress in the fight against HIV while warning that significant work remains to achieve national and global targets.

Speaking in his capacity as Chairperson of the South African National AIDS Council, Mashatile delivered the address at the official commemoration in Ga Masemola in the Sekhukhune District.

Mashatile said World AIDS Day remained an opportunity to reflect on lives lost and recommit to ending the epidemic. “Every year, on the first of December, we join the world to observe World AIDS Day not as a mere formality but as an opportunity to remember and strengthen our commitment to honouring lives lost,” he said.

This year’s national theme, “Renewed Efforts and Sustainable Commitments to End AIDS,” emphasises revitalising prevention and treatment programmes at a time when funding shifts and global health priorities are evolving. Mashatile noted that while South Africa has made considerable progress, particularly in surpassing two of the three global UNAIDS targets, challenges remain in initiating and retaining people on treatment.

Mashatile stated that the country’s current performance stands at 96 percent of people knowing their status, 80 percent on treatment, and 97 percent virally suppressed. South Africa surpasses the global averages in two categories, yet the second indicator remains a persistent challenge. In response, the government launched the Close the Gap Treatment Acceleration Campaign in February 2025 to reengage 1.1 million people who have fallen out of care.

Mashatile said the campaign addressed real-life barriers experienced by citizens. He said the treatment gap reflects the experiences of mothers who left treatment due to transport costs, men discouraged by poor clinic experiences, young people afraid of disclosure, and people who moved between provinces without continuity of care. He said the campaign was a national call for coordinated action involving government, civil society and communities to return people to treatment through locally driven interventions such as household visits and community mobilisation.

Mashatile said the push to reach the second target requires addressing structural inequalities and ensuring vulnerable groups have access to care. He said the government is prioritising inclusive policies for women and girls, people who use drugs, sex workers and the LGBTQIA+ community.

He highlighted recent innovations aimed at improving treatment adherence, including the Six Month Multi Month Dispensing model launched by the Minister of Health. This allows stable patients to collect antiretroviral treatment twice yearly, reducing clinic visits and easing pressure on health facilities.

Mashatile also addressed the country’s continued struggle with tuberculosis. He noted that TB remains the world’s leading infectious killer, with South Africa recording 54000 deaths in 2024. He said the End TB Campaign aims to test five million people annually for TB. The country has also introduced a new six-month regimen for multi drug resistant TB with a treatment success rate of nearly 80 percent as well as a shorter four-month regimen for children.

Mashatile said the introduction of antiretroviral therapy two decades ago transformed HIV from a fatal condition into a manageable illness. He said ARVs have reduced mother to child transmission rates to below two percent and increased life expectancy. He described this shift as an example of public policy improving lives across generations.

In referencing South Africa’s participation in recent global health financing efforts, Mashatile said the country co hosted the Global Fund Eighth Replenishment Summit at the G20 gathering. He said the replenishment drive seeks to raise 18 billion US dollars for HIV, TB and malaria programmes from 2027 to 2029. He said South Africa pledged 36.6 million US dollars through a partnership with government and the private sector.

Mashatile said South Africa is preparing for the rollout of the long acting HIV prevention injection lenacapavir. He said the medicine offers six months of protection per dose and has significant potential for groups who struggle with current prevention methods. He said South Africa was the first regulator in Africa to approve lenacapavir and is exploring opportunities for local manufacturing.

He said the country must avoid delays experienced during the early years of ARV rollout. “Let me be clear. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the early ARV era where life saving tools reached our shores too slowly,” Mashatile said.

Mashatile concluded by urging South Africans to confront stigma, support scientific advances and ensure treatment access for all. He said the country must remain aligned with the 2025 theme of renewing efforts and sustaining commitments to end AIDS.