Government says progress is being made on HIV/Aids

Health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang says overall HIV prevalence is no longer increasing as significantly as was in the early 1990’s. The minister says it is particularly encouraging that the prevention message of abstinence, faithfulness and condom use are being taken to heart, especially by the young. Tshabalala-Msimang has earmarked 2006 as the year of accelerated HIV and Aids prevention, saying government will intensify its interventions targeted at particular risk groups including people between the ages of 25 and 29. Tshabalala-Msimang has increasingly come under fire for the government’s stance on HIV and Aids, particularly her reluctance to introduce antriretroviral treatment.