Perceptions of the South African governments response to HIV / AIDS.

South Africa must seriously address the HIV epidemic for it is an illness of society not one of individuals. Most people in South Africa have little or no knowledge of what the government is doing to care for people infected with HIV. The author director of Johannesburg Hospitals infectious diseases clinic has not been notified of any release of a paper from the Department of Health which addresses HIV/AIDS treatment and care. The issue however must be addressed. The author therefore draws from his many years of experiences and impressions gained while caring for HIV-infected people at Johannesburg Hospital to raise the level of awareness on the issue. The HIV infected are still perceived and treated as pariahs as 18-27% of South Africas adults can be expected to be infected with HIV by the year 2005.