South Africa aims for 80 per cent treatment rate

The deputy president of South Africa has called on businesses to support targets for eight out of ten people to have access to HIV/Aids treatment.

Baleka Mbete was speaking at the South African Business Coalition on HIV/Aids on Wednesday.

He urged business, civil society, lobby groups, scientists, health workers and traditional leaders to work more closely.

"We can only meet the targets set out in the NSP [National Stategic Plan] for HIV/Aids if we work together," Mr Mbete told the coalition.

The South African government aims to halve the number of new infections in the country and try to change sexual behaviour among the population.

"Abstain, be faithful, condomise," he said, adding this was of particular importance among the 15 to 24-year-olds.

HIV charity Avert said South Africa had one of the most severe Aids epidemics in the world.

By the end of last year more than 5.7 million people were estimated to be living with the virus in the country, which was suffering 1,000 Aids related deaths every day.

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