Pretoria - About one million people have been voluntarily tested for HIV since the launch of the HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign earlier this year.
Updating the delegates attending the 18th International AIDS Conference held in Vienna on South Africa's HIV and AIDS fighting efforts on Tuesday, Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said as a result of the campaign more people had been able to access the treatment they need.
He said 70 605 people had been put on Antiretroviral Treatment (ART) since its launch in April.
"If we reach our target, we anticipate that 1.65 million more people will be diagnosed HIV positive. The campaign should provide them with the information and access to the interventions to enable them to manage their health and to prevent HIV transmission.
"Through rapid TB screening and CD4 counts the campaign also seeks to ensure that those patients requiring treatment are fast-tracked onto the treatment programme. In light of this we have planned for an enrolment of an additional 500,000 patients onto ART by March 2011," said Dr Motsoaledi.
The massive campaign, launched in April, has a target of testing 15 million people by June 2011.
Leaders including Presidents Jacob Zuma, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Dr Motsoaledi and other cabinet members, provincial premiers and leaders of civil society have been tested to encourage others to do the same as well as destigmatise HIV testing.
On World AIDS Day last year, President Zuma announced the government's intention to introduce new treatment protocols in line with WHO recommendations.
The objectives of the new protocols implemented from 1 April 2010 include that pregnant women and people co-infected with TB and HIV to be treated at CD4 of 350 or less, children under the age of one to be treated regardless of their CD4 count and Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission to start at 14 weeks.
All TB treatment sites must also test and treat for HIV and vice versa, government also agreed to integrate all aspects of the HIV programme with maternal and child health programme at all levels of the system but especially at the coalface, where the patient meets the health care system.
The conference, which started on Sunday, is being held under the theme: "Rights Here, Right Now".
