South Africa is one of three countries lagging behind as the World Health Organisation tries to get anti-retroviral drugs to three million people with HIV and Aids by the end of this year.
"If Nigeria, India and South Africa move strongly to significantly increase anti-retroviral therapy (ART), it will make the global target easier to reach," Dr Yves Souteyrand, a WHO director dealing with HIV and Aids, said on Tuesday. He was addressing the Seventh international Aids Impact conference, titled "The moment is now".
Souteyrand said that at the end of 2004 only 700 000 people were receiving ART treatment in developing countries.
"This is only 10 percent of the needs, but the number of people on ART has significantly increased in the last period with a doubling in sub-Saharan Africa."
About 5,8-million people needed treatment in developing and transitional countries.
Of the 20 countries that have the highest anti-retroviral need, only Botswana and Brazil have met the WHO's goals. South Africa fared worst because the country had the highest prevalence of HIV and a concomitant high need for anti-retrovirals.
"We know access to ART is not only a humanitarian and public health priority but also a developmental challenge," said Souteyrand.
Dr Ashraf Grimwood of the South African-based organisation Absolute Return for Kids (Ark) spoke on the rollout of the country's comprehensive Aids intervention strategy.
He said the success of the plan depended on access (or the ability to get therapy for those in need); sustainability (or reliability of continued access to care and treatment) and adherence to the treatment regime.
Grimwood said 5,6-million people were infected in SA, many of them women. The disease kills between 800 and 1 000 people a day. As of January 2005, 32 385 patients in the public sector were on treatment.
Challenges the country faced included a lack of pharmacists, doctors and nutritionists, infrastructure and facilities, he said. - Sapa