South Africa's AIDS epidemic and HIV prevalence rate is stabilising as intensified HIV prevention efforts around the world begin to reap results, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS' (UNAIDS) 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic released on Tuesday.
The report showed that the global increase in prevention and treatment efforts had brought the number of new infections down from 3 million to 2.7 million worldwide since 2005.
While the Sub-Saharan African region remains the most heavily affected by HIV worldwide, accounting for 67% of all infections, the report did highlight South Africa, Zambia and Malawi as countries were the epidemic is stabilising.
The report also noted that since 2005 South Africa has recorded a decline in HIV prevalence in pregnant women attending antenatal clinics.
Furthermore the growing availability of antiretroviral drugs is helping to reduce HIV-related illnesses and deaths in South Africa.
"In rural South Africa, substantial declines in mortality were reported in 2006, as these drugs became increasingly available," said the report.
The report emphasised that although the number of new HIV infections had fallen in several countries the AIDS epidemic is far from over in any part of the world
"Gains in saving lives by preventing new infections and providing treatment to people living with HIV must be sustained over the long term," said UNAIDS Executive Director Dr Peter Piot. "Short-term gains should serve as a platform for reinvigorating combination HIV prevention and treatment efforts and not spur complacency".
Andy Seale of the UNAIDS Sub Saharan Africa regional office says that despite the encouraging results of the survey, South Africa should be cautious of congratulating itself.
"We have seen some successes but we must be cautious of celebrating. The increased access to treatment is certainly something to build on but there is still so much more that needs to be done," says Seale.
South Africa continues to be home to the world's largest epidemic with 5.7 million people living with HIV.
Seale believes that reducing infections in South Africa and other countries in the region is hindered by complex social and cultural factors at play that determine the way people organise their sex lives.
"One of the most worrying trends we saw in our research is that of the young people (15 - 24 year olds) who were infected last year, 90% of them were female. This gives you an idea of the prevalence of intergenerational relationships [older men with younger women] that exist in South Africa, often with economic incentives," says Seale.
The report called for the global scaling up of the AIDS response, highlighting the impact this would have on meeting the Millennium Development Goals.
The UN Development Programmes Kemal Dervis said, "the progress we make in addressing AIDS will contribute to our efforts to reducing poverty and child mortality, and to improving nutrition and maternal health.
"At the same time, progress towards the other Goals, such as tackling gender inequality and promoting education, is required if we are to halt and reverse the spread of AIDS."
Visit the UNAIDS website to view the full report.
