The world has 18 months left - until the end of 2025 - to reach targets countries like South Africa signed up to in 2021. So where is South Africa at? That's tricky to answer, because the country uses four different ways to track this - and the numbers are not the same. We break down which set of data the Health Department uses to report to UNAids and what the other sets are for.
Listen to this article 12 min Listen to this article 12 min The world has 18 months left -- until the end of 2025 -- to reach targets United Nations (UN) member countries like South Africa signed up to in 2021.
The goals, which were set by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids (UNAids), are there to keep countries on track to get new HIV infections low enough by 2030 so that Aids is ended as a public health threat.
But most countries are off track.
And the cost of not turning this around, a study released at the 25th International Conference on Aids in Munich shows, is nearly 35 million new HIV infections and 18 million people dying of Aids by 2050.
On the other hand, if countries spend money on doing the right things that will stop people from getting infected with HIV, and also allow those who have the virus to stay healthy enough to work and contribute to the economy, they will get a R270.14 ($14.80) return on each R18.25 ($1) they invest in a person. In other words, the money they spend on preventing new infections will be...
