Pretoria - The SA National Council on Aids is on track with its national strategic plan on HIV and Aids, which would see the halving of new infections by 2011, Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said on Monday.

She chaired the first meeting of the newly constituted council in Pretoria, which officially brings together government and civil society in the fight against HIV and Aids.

The meeting received reports on the implementation of the National Strategic Plan for HIV and Aids which has a primary goal to cut HIV infections by fifty percent by 2011.

While some departments and sectors had already developed implementation plans and programmes to tackle the pandemic many were still in a draft stage, the meeting heard.

“There will be work in progress even till 2011, I don’t think on day one anyone thought that everything we need to do will be in place, there is ongoing work,” Mlambo-Ngquka said.

“We are on track,” she added.

Mark Haywood of the Treatment Action Campaign, who was elected deputy-chair of the council said, “There is momentum, there is seriousness, all of us need to pay attention to make sure the momentum is not lost.”

The council was re-launched in May after it was restructured to strengthen the implementation of the comprehensive HIV and Aids programme.

It would meet again in November, and a review of the National Strategic Plan would be done next year, the deputy president said.