The first is the pressure experienced by the South African government prior to the general assembly in 2000. The agenda was long-term development and HIV/AIDS was a strong issue of development. Even prior to the meeting in 2000, the World Health Organization together with United Nations sponsored a number of international meetings and conferences focusing on HIV/AIDS (WHO, 1999). Since the centre of the HIV/AIDS issue is South Africa, these meetings comprised pressures on the part of South Africa to assess its HIV/AIDS policies and develop an HIV/AIDS agenda prior to the general assembly.
In February 2000, the South African government implemented its intervention plan through the HIV/AIDS and STD Strategic Plan for South Africa developed in 2000 months before the general assembly meeting in September 2000. Again, in March 2007, the South African government pursued its intervention policy by setting out the HIV & AIDS and STI Strategic Plan for South Africa for 2007-2011 prior to September 2008, when the UN member countries were set to meet to renew their commitment to the MDGs.
This means that international influence, via the MDGs, on the national policymaking on HIV/AIDS in South Africa is through the pressure in preparing for the meetings, when South Africa is expected to report on its HIV/AIDS situation and the state of its policymaking on this health issue. Even before the official adoption of the MDGs, the impending general assembly to discuss development issues and the prior meetings discussing the issue HIV/AIDS already influenced national policymaking on HIV/AIDS by the South African government.
The second is that the identification of the MDGs, including goal six on combating HIV/AIDS by 2015, influenced the policy developments in South Africa. After the UN Millennium Declaration and commitment to the MDGs, there was expectation for the national governments to consider the MDGs in their policymaking. South Arica developed its comprehensive treatment policy based on the MDGs. This finds reflection on the simultaneous consideration of four areas of focus, antiretroviral treatment, health care centres, health workers, and multi-sector cooperation.
These areas of focus although addressing the health issue of HIV/AIDS represented a move directed towards the achievement not only of the sixth goal but also the other goals. Increasing health care centres, boosting the number and skills of health workers, and improving multi-sector cooperation also support the achievement of the other MDGs. The other impacts of the comprehensive treatment policy are: 1. Alleviation of poverty with greater free public access to health care 2. Enhancement in health education for health workers who are members of the community 3. Empowerment of women through access to clinics and health care
4. Reduction of child mortality often linked to HIV/AIDS 5. Improved maternal health through access to clinics and health care services 6. Establishment of cooperation with global partners through local organisations in the private sector with ties to international organisations or international organisations operating in South Africa (Department of Health, 2003) The impact of the comprehensive treatment policy has a wider and more long-term direction, which is also the intention of the commitment to the MDGs, to achieve wide scale and long-term collective development.