Pretoria - Cabinet has noted the submission of the Global Aids Response Progress Report 2012 to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, and says that in future, all progress reports should reflect on South Africa's contribution to and investment in the area of HIV/Aids research.
Cabinet spokesperson Jimmy Manyi on Wednesday said that the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV and AIDS and STIs 2007-2011 was the blueprint for the country's response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the time frame covered by South Africa's Global Aids Response Progress Report 2012, presented to the UN General Assembly.
"The report highlights significant progress that has been made in addressing the HIV epidemic. The country response was driven through several stakeholders and sectors, led by the South African National Aids Council (SANAC)," said Manyi during a post Cabinet briefing on Wednesday.
The new NSP 2012-2016 will guide the country's response to the epidemic for the next five years.
Country reports are published on the UNAIDS website.
Cabinet also noted the progress made on the implementation of the Anti-Substance Abuse Programme of Action (PoA).
Manyi announced that since the approval of the PoA in September 2011, government departments represented in the Inter-Ministerial Committee, including the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and National Treasury, had been implementing the programme guided by the following five focus areas:
Development of policy, review and alignment of liquor legislation;
Education and awareness on substance abuse;
Promotion of equal access to resources across South Africa;
Response to policies and legislation with regards to drugs and organized crime; and
Review of institutional mechanisms to prevent and manage alcohol and drug use in the country.
