SA has most number of HIV infections globally

Government says over R20 billion is spent a year to fight HIV and Aids in the country.

Candles form a red ribbon during World Aids Day. Picture: AFP.

PRETORIA - As South Africa prepares to host the International Aids Conference in Durban later this month, government says over R20 billion is spent yearly to fight the scourge of HIV and Aids in the country.

Officials say young women between the ages of 15 and 24 have the highest infection rate of the population.

Around 6.8 million people in South Africa are living with HIV.

On the global scale, South Africa remains the country with the highest number of infections, with 12% of the population living with HIV.

The South African National Aids Council's Dr Fareed Abdullah says, "We spend about R23 billion and this is no small problem."

Abdulah says the rate of new infections has seen a gradual change over the past 10 years. 

"In 2004, we had almost 500,000 new infections. In 2014 that number has come down to 330,000."

Officials say on average, nearly 2,000 young women are infected with HIV every week and, on a provincial level, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng account for the highest number of people living with the virus.