The South African government has unveiled new plans to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country, where 5.5 million people out of a total population of 47 million are living with the deadly virus. The strategy, announced on World Aids Day on 1 December, aims to halve the rate of new infections by 2011, especially among young people, and to provide care for 80 per cent of the affected population. The plans have been hailed as a significant improvement on past efforts, which have been criticised as being characterised by misinformation and denial. Now 213,000 affected people are receiving life-prolonging anti-retroviral treatment funded by the government, while over 360 million condoms are being distributed every year, according to deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. South Africa has the second highest number of people living with HIV/AIDS after India.