The HIV epidemic varies significantly across and within different geographies in South Africa. Even though the epidemic is generalised, it is over-represented in some populations, including sex workers (SW) and men who have sex with men (MSM). It is also concentrated in the populations with very high vulnerability to HIV, such as adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). This contextual understanding of the HIV epidemic is critical to develop and implement effective HIV interventions.

The National Essential Medicines List Committee has reviewed the evidence for dolutegravir (DTG)  compared with efavirenz (EFV) in pregnancy, and has determined that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Third Line Antiretrovirals 

There is an increasing trend in the disengagement from HIV care services which threatens the progress towards the 90-90-90 targets. The Welcome Back Campaign seeks to support re-engagement and retention of PLHIV who were diagnosed but never initiated on ART and those who were initiated on treatment and interrupted ART or missed ART appointments. The Welcome Back Campaign strategy compliments other NDOH policy documents that contribute to the country’s HIV response. The campaign has adopted a four- pronged approach.

South Africa (SA) is one of the 30 high burden tuberculosis (TB) countries contributing 87% of the estimated incident TB cases worldwide, on its own SA accounts for 3% of cases globally. Among these 30 high burden TB countries, the country is among the 14 countries with the highest burden of TB, TB/HIV and multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB). The country’s TB epidemic is driven by a number of factors including low socio-economic status and a high HIV coinfection burden.

The Antenatal HIV Sentinel Survey (ANCHSS) has been conducted in South Africa since 1990, annually between 1990 and 2015 and biennially since 2015, with the main aim of monitoring HIV epidemic trends among 15 to 49-year-old pregnant women attending antenatal clinics. The 2019 survey was the 28th survey conducted in South Africa.