South Africa will commemorate the day in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape under the theme ‘South Africa is taking responsibility on a path to eliminating the TB and HIV epidemics’.

At the event, President Jacob Zuma is expected to launch the National Strategic Plan for HIV and Aids 2012-16 (NSP).

The NSP is a strategic guide for HIV, STI and TB initiatives for the next five years. The decision to include TB was primarily due to the high co-infection rate between HIV and TB.

The NSP is reviewed periodically because it is intended to respond to the changes in the twin epidemics for relevance, effectiveness and the necessary adjustments are made accordingly.

The commission, which was established in terms of Section 187 of the Constitution, said it was the responsibility of citizens to live a responsible life in order to reduce the scourge of HIV.