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South Africa's HIV screening and counseling campaign has tested "millions of people" in the four months since it was introduced but the effort now needs to be reinvigorated, the nation's health minister said on Sunday. "We launched the campaign in April but there was a big lull during the World Cup and we need to relaunch it," Aaron Motsoaledi told a meeting of Business Unity SA. "This pandemic is far, far, far from being over, and we need to break its back somewhere," he said. Motsoaledi asked members of the group for donations to help raise awareness of the need for HIV testing, distribute condoms, and conduct a "massive circumcision drive." When properly performed, male circumcision can reduce the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission by up to 60 percent. Jerry Vilakazi, the group's CEO, acknowledged that business "has a vested interest" in fighting HIV/AIDS; he further said business leaders will provide their advertising expertise toward that goal. "The category that is highly infected are those who are economically active, in the age group between 25 and 39, the drivers of the economy," Vilakazi said.
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