EKURHULENI ON COURSE TO MEET GLOBAL TARGETS ON HIV DETECTION, THERAPY AND VIRAL SUPPRESSION

The City of Ekurhuleni’s health practitioners shared their commendable progress in meeting the UNAIDS targets on HIV detection, antiretroviral therapy and viral suppression with their peers at the 12th South African AIDS Conference held at Emperors Palace from 8 to 11 September 2025.

Ekurhuleni has made progress in meeting the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) target of 95% of people living with HIV knowing their status, 95% of those diagnosed receiving sustained antiretroviral therapy and 95% of those on therapy achieving viral suppression.

The progress in Ekurhuleni is as follows:

• 95% of people living with HIV know their status;
• 84.2% of those diagnosed receive sustained antiretroviral therapy; and
• 90% of those on therapy achieved viral suppression.

The city is working hard to close the gap for those on treatment and achieving viral suppression.

Ekurhuleni health teams are actively conducting door-to-door visits and contact tracing to encourage individuals who have fallen off treatment to return to care and support, reinforcing the critical importance of early testing and adherence to treatment regimens.

The 12th South African AIDS Conference underscored the need for community-driven approaches, education, destigmatisation, and aligned data-driven strategies, as outlined in the National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and STIs (2023-2028).

The National Department of Health’s campaigns such as the “Close the Gap – Start and Stay on HIV Treatment” initiative have proved critical in accelerating treatment access for over a million individuals living with HIV.

The City of Ekurhuleni remains dedicated to mobilising resources, harnessing partnerships, and fostering resilient health systems to reach the 95–95–95 targets and ultimately end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.