(RTTNews) - South African President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday announced a major shift in policy regarding treatment of HIV infected people in the country and promised to extend the treatment program to all pregnant woman and children under the age of one tested positive for HIV, immaterial of how weak their immunity system has become.

"All children under one year of age will get treatment if they test positive. Initiating treatment will therefore not be determined by the level of CD cells," Zuma said in a speech to mark World Aids Day. "This decision will contribute significantly towards the reduction of infant mortality over time."

Under the existing policy, the supply of the anti-retroviral drugs were limited and was provided to babies based on how weak their immune system has become. Currently, treatment with free anti-retrovirals is available only to those whose CD4 count is less than 200.

With the latest policy announcement, all patients will get anti-retroviral treatment if their CD4 count is 350 or less, including pregnant woman and patients suffering from TB. Zuma added that TB and HIV/Aids will now be treated under one roof.

Pregnant women infected with aids will now be put on treatment at fourteen weeks of pregnancy to protect the baby. In the past, this was only started during the last term of pregnancy.
Zuma said the new policy will be implemented by April 2010, indicating that all the concerned departments will work to ensure that systems are in place by the 31st of March. With the new system in place, any citizen should be able to move into any health center and ask for counseling, testing and even treatment if needed.

Warning that HIV does not discriminate between social classes and races, he requested all South Africans to take responsibility for themselves by taking HIV tests at the earliest. Zuma also said that he has made arrangements to take one himself.

"The HIV tests are voluntary and they are confidential. We know that it is not easy. It is a difficult decision to take," Zuma said. "But it is a decision that must be taken by people from all walks of life, of all races, all social classes, all positions in society. HIV does not discriminate."

His announcement was widely welcomed in South Africa, which is home to the highest number of people living with HIV. Official estimates indicate that some 59,000 babies are born with HIV every year in South Africa, where there are at least 5.2 million HIV infected people.

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