As the world prepares to commemorate World Aids Day on Tuesday, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said government wanted to ensure 80 percent of HIV positive people had access to anti-retroviral drugs by 2011.

He said it was disappointing that only 50 percent of HIV positive patients were currently receiving ARVs.

Motsoaledi said the Health Department was determined to change this in the next year.

“We are targeting that by 2011 we must have reached at least 80% of the people who need ARVs,” said Motsoaledi.

Meanwhile, President Jacob Zuma’s Aids Day speech on Tuesday was expected to show how his Aids policy would be different to that of former president Thabo Mbeki.

Mbeki had been accused of genocide by the Young Communist League for the refusal of his government to make available anti-retroviral drugs.

At the same time, the Treatment Action Campaign said government’s stance on Aids had changed over time.