REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA COMBINED SECOND PERIODIC REPORT UNDER THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLE`S RIGHTS and INITIAL REPORT UNDER THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA and new Regulations relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs which came into effect in May 2012, and aim to empower citizens to make healthy food choices. Measures to fight HIV/AIDS 287. In May 2012, government had cut the mother-to-child transmission rate from 3.5% in 2010 to less than 2%. The rate of new infections had dropped from 1.4% to 0.8% in the 18 to 24 age groups. As outlined in the HIV and STI Strategic Plan for South Africa 20072011, South Africa has adopted a multi-sectoral approach to the challenge of HIV and the wide-ranging impacts of AIDS. During 2011 a collaborative effort was undertaken by the South African National AIDS Council, in which government, business, labour and civil society are represented, to review the implementation of these strategic plans and to develop the next five year plan (for the period 2012-2016). There is in place a comprehensive prevention, care and treatment programme. Key components of the programme include Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT), prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT), antiretroviral therapy, condom distribution, and awareness education. Over the years, South Africa has been expanding its infrastructure for the implementation of the HIV and AIDS response programme. Public health facilities offering VCT and PMTCT have been expanded to cover the whole country. 288. The co-infection rates of HIV and TB exceed 70%, with TB being the most common opportunistic infection in HIV-positive patients. Because of late detection, poor treatment management, drug-resistant forms of TB (known as DR-TB or multidrugresistant TB; and XDR TB or extensively drug-resistant TB) have increased significantly, with about 5 500 cases diagnosed during 2009. Integrating the double scourge of HIV/Aids and TB for the first time, government has launched the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and TB for 2012 – 2016. The plan seeks to address the social structural drivers of HIV/Aids, STD and TB care, prevention and support; to prevent new infections; to sustain health and wellness; and to protect human rights and access to justice of sufferers. 289. The HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) campaign was launched in April 2010. By 2011, 19.9 million people had undergone voluntary testing for HIV. By mid- 2012, almost 20million people had been tested and knew their status. Millions were also screened for TB. South Africa has the largest ARV therapy programme in the world, and an improved procurement process has seen a 50% decrease in the prices of ARV drugs. The cost of ARVs has been halved making it possible for government to treat more people within the same resources. In the area of combating HIV and AIDS including tuberculosis, we have witnessed a stabilisation of the number of people living with HIV in the country. In improving maternal and child health, we have reached 70% immunisation coverage for diarrhoea and pneumonia.176 176 Media statement by Minister in The Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation on the release of the Mid-Term Review, June 2012 83