Randburg — From 2011 to 2015, the global community will
celebrate 1 December, World AIDS Day, under the theme "Getting
to Zero," echoing the UNAIDS vision of achieving "Zero new HIV
infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths."
Almost four decades after HIV and AIDS first became part of the
public consciousness, immense resources have been invested in
prevention, treatment and care. Yet, while some countries have
made significant strides in reducing prevalence and responding
to the health care burden, there is still a long way from
"Getting to Zero." UNAIDS estimates that 22.5 million people
living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (UNAIDS 2010),
representing 68% of the global HIV burden, with 5.6 million in
South Africa alone. Yet despite high prevalence, there remains
widespread stigma and discrimination, which hinder both
prevention and care. Social injustices such as gender
inequality, violence against women and girls, and homophobia
also discourage people from seeking the information and servi