Dramatic drop in Hiv infections

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 New HIV infections in South Africa have fallen by a third since 2004, according to a report handed to Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe on Friday.

Between 2004 and 2012, the number of new HIV infections fell from an estimated 540,000 to 370,000, according to the report by the Joint
United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids.

UNAIDS co-ordinator for South Africa Dr Catherine Sozi said the number of Aids deaths fell by 30% from 330,000 in 2004 to 240,000 in 2012, and were projected to fall to below 150,000 in 2016.

Sozi said government's increased roll-out of the antiretroviral therapy programme had averted an estimated 780,000 deaths between 2004 and 2012.

An estimated 2.7 million people receive antiretroviral drugs in South Africa, making it the largest ARV programme in the world.