Young girls most vulnerable to HIV: Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa today led a delegation as well as HIV/AIDS activists to Ugu District for the official World Aids Day commemoration. 

Speaking in Port Shepstone, he said there’s an urgent need to discourage young girls from getting into relationships with older men.

''We cannot carry on like this. This has to come to an end. We've got to bring this figure down and it must start with adults, the sugar daddies must also stop molesting pour children.

''While we have programs to reduce new infections in this group, we need a highly visible nationwide campaign to significantly reduce new infections amongst these young people,'' he said.

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Meanwhile UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe says South Africa’s response to the HIV/Aids pandemic has changed completely.  

Sidibe has congratulated the country for quickening the pace of action but has warned there is no room for complacency. 

Sidibe says today, 3.2 million South Africans are on treatment compared to the less than 800 000 who were receiving anti-retrovirals around 2009.

''We need to really make sure that we continue to have more people on treatment, if not we will unfortunately see the HIV/AIDS virus [growing]. We really want to make sure that we don't drop the ball,'' he said.

(Photo: Khatija Nxedlana)