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The 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa, started on a high note on Monday, July 18 2016, with efficient hosting of the event and powerful calls on all sectors of society around the globe to intensify the pursuit of an AIDS-free world.

The South African delegation is led by Deputy President and South African National AIDS Council Chairperson, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa.

On the first day of the Conference, Deputy President Ramaphosa addressed the Official Opening Press Conference where high-profile panellists, including United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and AIDS activist Charlize Theron welcomed the Conference as an opportunity to understand the gravity of the epidemic and explore innovative solutions to ensure that we achieve an AIDS-free society in our lifetime.

Deputy President also met with Mr Ban who commended South Africa for its progress in the fight against AIDS, particularly in giving access to treatment to people affected by HIV, recalling that the Durban Conference in 2000 had set very good guidelines to achieve such progress.

However, he stressed that much remained to be done at the global level to ensure the ending of the epidemic by 2030.

Mr Ramaphosa expressed appreciation for the support lent by the United Nations, through leadership of the SG and UNAIDS in the fight against HIV and AIDS in South Africa and globally.

Deputy President Ramaphosa also received the Treatment4All petition during a march organised by the civil society group. In his remarks, the Deputy President reiterated South Africa's appreciation for the role played by United Nations Secretary-General in advancing the fight against HIV, AIDS and TB.

On the partnership between government and civil society, Deputy President Ramaphosa said: 'We are all on the same side. We are not against each other; we must never be against each other; we should be pulling in the same direction.

'Each one of us must help every one of us. We should stop throwing stones; we must start throwing ideas to make sure that people living with HIV are taken care of and that we stop further infections.' Deputy President Ramaphosa urged communities to sustain activism, and committed that government would support community-driven campaigns.

At a conference satellite session focused on preventing children being born with HIV in South Africa, Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi announced the launch of South Africa’s last mile for HIV Elimination of Mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT), which signifies a phase of accelerated efforts towards an Aids-free generation in the country. South Africa has been commended for its success in reducing its mother-to-child infection rate from 8% in 2008 to 1.5% in 2015.

The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) hosted a Satellite Session on the National Sex Workers HIV Plan 2016-2019, chaired by the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Ms Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu. She was joined by Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development John Jeffery.

The session unpacked the plan which aims to deliver a comprehensive range of services to sex workers, including  the provision of condoms, regular testing for HIV/AIDS and TB, psychosocial services and strengthening representative sex worker organisations.

Sex workers raised concerns about the slow rate of progress in decriminalising sex work. Deputy Minister Jeffery outlined the legal position of the country on sex work and said government continued to engage on the topic.

Day one concluded with Deputy President Ramaphosa officially Opening the 21st International AIDS Conference in a ceremony attended by more than 10 000 delegates.

In his remarks, Deputy President Ramaphosa paid a moving tribute to the many courageous individuals and organisations in South Africa and across the world who persistently fought for the right to treatment.

He highlighted that South Africa now provided 3.4 million HIV positive people with antiretroviral treatment and said the struggle against HIV and AIDS has been – and still is – a struggle for a better society in which the human rights and dignity of all people were recognised and respected, “a society in which men do not claim dominion over women; a society in which the powerful do not prey on the vulnerable”.

Issued by GCIS on behalf of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the 21st International AIDS Conference