ABSTRACT
As Deputy President, Mbeki had acknowledged the seriousness of the epidemic sweeping SA at the 1995 International Conference of People Living with HIV and AIDS. At that time 850,000 people were already known to be HIV positive. In 2000 the Department of Health outlined a five-year plan to combat AIDS, HIV and sexually transmitted infections. A National AIDS Council was established to oversee the implementation of the plan. SA was on a constructive path to dealing with this national challenge.
