Leading healthcare organisation The Aurum Institute says the impact of the country’s HIV/AIDS response would be greater if the number of new HIV infections was reduced, and the focus put on key populations which are most at risk.

To mark World AIDS Day on Sunday, the Institute says the country has made substantial progress over the years, but it must now embrace new technologies in fighting HIV/AIDS.

The Institute’s Geoff Setswe says the country should be patient as scientists try to find a vaccine or a cure for HIV/AIDS.

“We had the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS and the challenge is that we expect to find a cure from one source and this is not going to happen… even if it’s a vaccine. South Africans are participating in all attempts to get an HIV vaccine. There is progress in that area, but we still have to wait for a few more years because the HI virus virologically is a lot more complicated, so it will take a bit of time.”