President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday announced new measures to expand South Africa's response to HIV/Aids.

Addressing an International World Aids Day commemoration in Pretoria, Zuma said all children under the age of one would get treatment if tested positive for the virus. This would be irrelevant of their CD4 count.

"The decision will contribute significantly towards the reduction of infant mortality over time," he said.

"All patients with both tuberculosis (TB) and HIV/Aids will get treatment with antiretrovirals if their CD4 count is 350 or less," he said to loud cheers and applause. At present, treatment was only available for those whose CD4 count was under 200.

"TB and HIV/Aids will now be treated under one roof."

The President said "extraordinary measures" were needed to reverse the current trend of the disease in the country.

"This policy change will address early reported deaths arising from undetected TB infections among those who are infected with HIV/Aids."

Zuma announced the steps after it emerged that approximately 1% of the population had TB, and that co-infection between TB and HIV/Aids was 73%.

All pregnant HIV-positive women with a CD4 count of 350 would have access to treatment. At present, HIV-positive pregnant women are only eligible for treatment if their CD4 count is less that 200.

"All other pregnant women falling into this category... will be put on treatment at 14 weeks of pregnancy to protect the baby. In the past this was only done in the last term of the pregnancy."

To meet the need for testing and treatment, all health institutions would need to be ready to receive and assist patients, not just ARV-accredited centres. Anyone should be able to go into any health centre and ask for counselling, testing and even treatment if needed, he said. This would be effective from April 2010. Zuma said all institutions were "hard at work" to ensure systems were in place by March 31.

"It means that we will be treating significantly larger numbers of HIV positive patients. It means that people will live longer and more fulfilling lives.

"What does it not mean? It does not mean that we should be irresponsible in our sexual practices," Zuma said to roaring applause.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi last month released "shocking" statistics on HIV/Aids, blaming the previous administration's tardy response to the disease for these.

Zuma said that in response to the virus there were only two choices, give up or fight.

"That time has now come in our struggle to overcome HIV/Aids. Let us declare now... that we shall not submit. We have no choice but to deploy every effort, mobilise every resource and utilise every skill that our nation possesses to ensure that we prevail in this struggle.

"Let there be no more shame, no more blame, no more discrimination and no more stigma. Let the politicisation about HIV and Aids stop. Let this be the start of an era of openness, of taking responsibility and of working together in unity to prevent HIV/Aids infections and to deal with its impact," he said in conclusion.

Responding to the major policy shift, South African National Aids Council deputy chairperson Mark Heywood said he was "very moved" by the government's "concrete plan".

"It shows there is an intention [to address the epidemic]. It means hope, it means life."

He said that while a corner had not been turned yet, promises of greater access to treatment were "very positive". Prevention also needed to be more seriously looked at.

"We know where the greatest risk is [poorer communities], as the President said, we need to turn the tap off."

National Association of People Living with HIV and Aids (Napwa) secretary-general Nkululeko Nxesi said Zuma's address had been "very significant".

"We are very excited about the issue of treatment."

Nxesi said it was also the first time the work of "foot soldiers", the caregivers had been acknowledged.

"However, we would have been 100% happy if the speech of the President focused on nutrition. If people don't have food that treatment programme will collapse. Nobody seems to be listening to that."