Deputy President Paul Mashatile has warned that South Africa is facing a “stubborn and painful” crisis at the heart of its HIV response, with 1.1-million people lost to treatment despite major progress in prevention and testing.
Speaking at a World AIDS Day commemoration in Ga-Masemola, Limpopo, Mashatile said the country had surpassed two of the UNAIDS targets but continued to struggle with the second one — ensuring that people who know their status stay on treatment.
South Africa now sits at 96-80-97, with the middle figure — people on sustained treatment — posing the biggest threat to the country’s fight against HIV.
He said the 1.1-million people who had disengaged from care were not just a number but represented “mothers who stopped treatment because transport was too costly, men who walked away after negative clinic experiences, young people who feared disclosure and thousands who moved between provinces without continuity of care”.
“These are complex, human reasons. They reflect the truth that success in HIV is never permanent. It must be defended every single day,” he said.
To confront the gap, the government launched the “Close the Gap” treatment acceleration campaign on February 25, one of the most ambitious recovery efforts in the country’s HIV programme.
The campaign aims to re-engage all 1.1-million people who have fallen out of care through door-to-door work, ward-to-ward mobilisation and partnerships with civil society, traditional leaders and health workers.
He emphasised that improving access and retention meant directly addressing inequality and stigma, especially among women and girls, sex workers, people who use drugs and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Mashatile warned that treatment must remain accessible and free, and called for renewed investment as global funding patterns shift.
“We cannot allow economic barriers, fear, judgment or broken systems to push people out of treatment. Treatment is lifesaving. It is a fundamental right,” he said.
While celebrating progress, including the introduction of six-month ARV dispensing and new shorter TB treatment regimens, the deputy president said South Africa remained at a defining moment.
“Every person lost to care matters. Closing this gap is how we honour the lives lost and protect the future.”
World AIDS Day was commemorated under the theme “Renewed efforts and sustainable commitments to end Aids”.
TimesLIVE
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