Health minister Motsoaledi urges men to take the lead in fight against HIV/Aids

Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi has emphasised the crucial role men must play in the fight against HIV/Aids.

“It’s high time men must come to the party to help us fight this disease,” he said.

His comments came as the country launched a campaign aimed at enrolling 1.1-million people in HIV treatment by December 2025, with a focus on increasing male participation in HIV care and testing.

Statistics have revealed a significant gender gap in HIV treatment and testing.

“We also know most of the people we are looking for are men. That's the message people must know. We are looking for men because out of the 1.1-million, most are men,” he said.

Reflecting on past HIV/Aids campaigns, Motsoaledi said women have been the primary drivers in the battle against the disease. He said in the 2010 campaign, 65% of those tested for HIV were women.

“Women have done very well to help in the fight against HIV. When we launched the first programme in 2010, after 18-million people were tested, 65% were women. The rest were men and children,” he said.

The newly launched campaign is part of broader efforts to ensure 95% of people diagnosed with HIV receive and adhere to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for viral suppression.

With 7.8-million people living with HIV in the country and 5.9-million receiving ARV treatment, the campaign aims to address the gaps.

Motsoaledi said the country faces a significant challenge in encouraging men to seek healthcare.

“Unfortunately men are never found in clinics. Their healthcare-seeking behaviour is very low.”

He said the reluctance of men to engage with healthcare services comes from some men believing their wives' actions, such as getting tested for HIV, are sufficient for the entire family.

“When we started the campaign we asked some men why they did not test, and they said, “My wife has tested’.”

The campaign was launched in collaboration with the SA National Aids Council and other key stakeholders in the health sector.



The country’s overall HIV prevalence rate is about 12.7%.

According to the latest report from Stats SA, the mid-year population in 2024 was estimated at 63.02-million, with about 51% female.

TimesLIVE