Motlanthe’s speech was stripped of any of the denialist science that the South African government had become notorious for since the previous large-scale AIDS science meeting in Durban nine years ago, where then President Thabo Mbeki and his health minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang cast doubts over the relevance of established mainstream HIV/AIDS science.

‘€œHIV and AIDS is indeed a challenge that has distinguished the last two decades of the last century and, unless we redouble our efforts to conquer this disease, it will continue to define the 21st century as well as for sub-Saharan Africa in particular,’€ Motlanthe told the more than 5 000 delegates of which 70% are from outside Africa.

‘€œThis is one challenge we must overcome as soon as humanly possible in order to produce an HIV and AIDS-free generation,’€ he continued.

Unlike the previous government, which used every platform to lambast scientists, Motlanthe said he was pleased South African researchers were playing a vital role in trying to understand the pathogenesis of the virus as well as participating in clinical trials.

He also thanked South Africa’€™s development partners for ‘€œyour sterling efforts’€.

Motlanthe recognised the degree to which the Prevention of Mother-to -Child Transmission (PMTCT) programme could be used as a key catalyst to fast-track improvements in the health system and health outcomes towards the Millennium Development Goals.

Ironically, in Durban in 2000, Mbeki and Tshabalala-Msimang attempted to fend off any attempts by scientists to have PMTCT introduced as a cost effective, lifesaving intervention.

Motlanthe revealed that health minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi would soon officially launch an accelerated plan to ensure that South Africa met the targets of the country’€™s National Strategic Plan which aims to have 80% of people who need treatment accessing it and halving new HIV infections, all by 2011.

Motlanthe said he had in a recent meeting with UNAIDS chief Michel Sidibe agreed that South Africa needed to ensure that it dramatically decreased the number of infants that are infected so that ‘€œwe can indeed have a generation free of AIDS’€.

The Deputy President also said South Africa would be working towards integrating the HIV and tuberculosis services with due regard to proper infection control. Tshabalala-Msimang had throughout her tenure resisted attempts to integrate the two services, despite international findings to the contrary. Today, South Africa has the highest number of people co-infected with HIV and TB in the world.

Co-chair of IAS 2009 and professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Hoosen Coovadia re-invited delegates to what he called an interrupted process.

Coovadia, who was chair of the Durban conference in 2000, told delegates their presence nine years ago changed the nature of what was happening in South Africa.

‘€œScientists brought the reason and rationality that was needed at a time when there was such a division between government and scientists. Your visit then was critical for us and today your presence is equally important,’€ he said at the opening session.

‘€œWe have a massive problem in that we have the severest form of an AIDS epidemic at a time when money is hard and resources few. Very few countries will be able to handle the problem we face alone.

‘€œPlease help our people, we cannot overcome this struggle without your help,’€ Coovadia appealed.

The bi-annual conference ends of Wednesday. – Health-e News Service.