20100425
SABC

President Jacob Zuma has disclosed his HIV status after taking a public HIV test on April 8. The test was his fourth in recent months and the President says all four tests have been negative.

Zuma made the disclosure while addressing hundreds of people attending the launch of the HIV Testing and Counselling campaign at the Natalspruit hospital in Ekurhuleni. Zuma says while HIV tests remain voluntary and confidential, he feels it is important to show leadership in the matter.

The United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids (UNAids) Executive Director Michel Sidibe also spoke at the campaign launch and has described it as a golden moment in the fight against HIV/Aids in South Africa.

Sidibe told the South African government that the UN and the United States government fully support the campaign. He says today will be remembered at a turning point in the fight against the pandemic in South Africa, on the African continent and globally.

Government leaders, Aids activists and civil society have encouraged the public to get tested for HIV. Among the key aims of the campaign is to get about 15 million people tested for HIV before June next year. The National Association of People Living With Aids, says knowing one's status saves lives. Spokesperson Nkululeko Nxesi has committed his organisation to assisting people who test positive.