This is according to a coalition of organisations,including the Treatment Action Campaign and Medicins sans Frontieres, that is pushing for three million people to be on ARVs in four years’€™ time.

In early June, a special United Nations High LevelMeeting on HIV/AIDS is being held to determine global targets amid shrinking donor funding.

Rumours are rife that the UN meeting might be the last ever to discuss HIV/AIDS, which makes it essential that proper international targets are set.

‘€œSouth Africa should take the lead in setting and committing to national targets’€, and this will encourage other UN member states to do the same, according to the TAC, MSF, Section27, World AIDS Campaign and the AIDS and Rights Alliance of Southern Africa.

The organisations have made the request in a letter sent to the Health Minister, Deputy President and Health Director-General.

Cabinet is supposedly due to discuss South Africa’€™s HIV/AIDS targets tomorrow (Wed 25 May) before a country delegation attends the UN meeting on 6 June.

Other targets suggested by the organisations are that 80 percent of public health facilities to provide integrated TB and HIV treatment; people to get ARVs when their CD4 count is 350 and for government to find ways to ensure ‘€robust funding’€ for HIV in the light of global shortages.

‘€œThe declaration that is due to come out of the UN meeting is already being negotiated and it does not set any strong targets for treatment and prevention,’€ according to MSF spokesperson Mara Kardas-Nelson.

‘€œSouth Africa plays a strong role internationally in HIV/AIDS because of its position in Africa and because it has the greatest number of people living with HIV in the world. For this reason, it is important for South Africa to take the lead,’€ said Kardas-Nelson.

At present, less than half of those who need ARV treatment are receiving it, according the Lynne Wilkinson, MSF’€™s Deputy Country Director.

‘€œUN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for at least 13 million people to be placed on treatment by 2015, but we are lobbying for this target to be set at 15 million, which is more in line with universal access’€ said Wilkinson.

‘€œThe June UN meeting comes at a time when the world has seen both unprecedented scientific gains proving the benefits of ART and mounting threats to HIV programmes through persistent funding cuts,’€ according to Wilkinson.