Pretoria - The Presidency has taken the lead in encouraging civil servants to participate in the HIV, Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign with more than 600 Presidency employees expected to undergo HIV testing.
Launched on 25 April 2010, the campaign forms part of government's new and up-scaled HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment plan which was announced by President Jacob Zuma last December on World AIDS Day.
Zuma had made a call that all South Africans should know their HIV status. He took his own HIV test on 8 April to promote the testing campaign.
Through the HCT campaign, government hopes to get 15 million people tested for HIV by June 2011.
Minister for Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya will lead the campaign by undergoing an HIV test on Thursday at the Union Buildings, followed by other employees.
The objectives of the new scaled up plan are to reduce the rate of infection by 50 percent by 2011 and to provide ARV treatment to 80 percent of those who need the treatment.
Other objectives of the new implementation plan include more emphasis on prevention through information, education, widespread distribution of condoms and mobilisation of millions of South Africans to know their status.
