As the world marks Aids Day on Tuesday the UNAIDS programme urged President Jacob Zuma to address social and economic issues related to fighting the disease.

Zuma was due to make the keynote speech at a function in Pretoria marking World Aids Day.

United States Ambassador to South Africa Donals Gips said he lwas ooking forward to Zuma’s speech underlining the fact that South Africa had entered a new era in fighting Aids.

The Head of UNAIDS Michael Sedibe said South Africa was the most logical place to be for World Aids Day.

With an estimated 5.7 million sufferers, it had more people infected with Aids and a new government determined to end the crisis.

Zuma put aside the Aids skepticism of his predecessor Thabo Mbeki and pledged to have 80 percent of those who need Aids drugs receiving treatment by 2011.