The Association of Palliative Care Centres (APCC) joins the global community in marking World AIDS Day 2025, with a call to keep HIV & AIDS treatment and palliative care at the centre of South Africa’s health agenda.
HIV & AIDS has dropped to the fourth leading cause of death nationally, overtaken by non‑communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. Yet among adults aged 15 to 44 it remains a leading cause of mortality and continues to represent one of South Africa’s highest burdens of disease within the “quadruple burden” of infectious diseases, non‑communicable diseases, maternal and child health issues, and injuries and violence.
According to the latest UNAIDS Global AIDS Update 2025, 40.8 million people worldwide were living with HIV in 2024, up from 39.9 million in 2023. Wider access to antiretroviral therapy has extended life expectancy, but Lancet Global Health warns that as this population ages, non‑communicable diseases, including cancer, are becoming increasingly significant, with people living with HIV facing a higher risk of infection‑related cancers.
This convergence places immense pressure on health systems, which must respond to acute infections, chronic conditions, cancers, and social determinants of health all at once. In this context, HIV & AIDS must remain a priority. Not only for treatment, but for community‑based palliative care that upholds dignity and improves quality of life.
Since 2012, the APCC has partnered with the National Department of Health, delivering care within the HIV & AIDS framework, supporting policy development, and contributing to the National Policy Framework and Strategy for Palliative Care (2017). Members continue to train and deploy healthcare personnel across community, district, and hospital settings.
“Palliative care is not a final chapter; it’s support that begins at diagnosis and extends through treatment,” says Motlalentoa Motsoane, CEO of the APCC. “Palliative care centres and hospices assist HIV‑positive patients with life‑threatening co‑infections in ways that are dignified and stigma‑free. As HIV & AIDS evolves, so must our response, even as many APCC members face reduced funding.”
Across the member network, organisations respond to HIV & AIDS in diverse ways. In KwaZulu‑Natal, the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT) has become a cornerstone of holistic HIV response. Its integrated model spans prevention, clinical care, psychosocial support, economic empowerment, GBV-prevention youth work‑readiness training, rooted in evidence‑based education and outreach aligned with South Africa’s National Strategic Plan on HIV, TB and STIs. HACT’s long‑standing support for orphaned children and grandmothers – often the backbone of caregiving – together with investment in local crafters and young people, reaches over 10,000 people each year, helping restore dignity, stability, and resilience in communities heavily burdened by HIV.
“World AIDS Day 2025 marks HACT’s 35th anniversary,” says Candace Moolman, CEO of HACT. “This milestone reminds us that community‑care must remain at the heart of an effective HIV & AIDS response. Whether through palliative services, counselling, family strengthening, or youth empowerment, we see every day how holistic support enables people not only to survive but to live with dignity and agency. As community needs evolve, so must our commitment to walk alongside them with compassion, innovation, and hope.”
As World AIDS Day 2025 is observed under the theme Overcoming disruption. Transforming the AIDS response, the APCC calls for sustained investment in community‑based palliative services. HIV & AIDS remains a pressing challenge within South Africa’s broader health landscape, requiring long‑term commitment and attention.
“The APCC stands firmly alongside our members to strengthen care systems that meet people where they are. In rural villages, townships, urban centres, and hospital wards,” says Motsoane. “This World AIDS Day is a reminder that HIV & AIDS must stay at the forefront of our collective health response. It is also a time to honour those who have lost their lives to AIDS and to remember the families and friends who continue to experience that loss.”
