HIV Counselling and Testing campaign (HCT)

On World AIDS Day President Jacob Zuma made a call to the nation - from individuals and communities to businesses and Government - to take personal and collective responsibility to stop new HIV infections, provide care and support to those living with HIV and to ensure access to treatment for all people in need.

"The mainstay of the fight against any disease is to prevent it from happening," said Motsoaledi. " You don't have to be a scientist to know that. We grew up knowing that 'prevention is better than cure' at all times. But if you have failed to prevent it and it has happened, you have to treat it. We do accept that the fact that we have got so many people on treatment, might be the failure of prevention."

The HIV Counselling and Testing campaign, or HCT, this is the most ambitious HIV testing campaign in the world, according to SA National AIDS Council (SANAC) co-chairperson Mark Heywood.

It has four objectives: to increase health-seeking behaviour; to encourage South Africans to know their HIV status; to equip those who test HIV-negative with ways of ensuring that they don't get HIV; and to create a quick and easy entry point to accessing wellness and treatment services for those who test HIV-positive.

From April 15, everyone attending a clinic or hospital will be offered an HIV test, regardless of whether they have symptoms of the disease or not.

The HCT's target is to have 15 million South Africans tested for HIV by June next year at any of the country's 4 300 health facilities.