South Africa that has more than five million people suffering from HIV/AIDS, has decided to start a massive countrywide campaign against the illness in April.

The country's Health Minister, Aaron Motsoaledi told BuaNews that with a goal of achieving 15 million people by 2011, the HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT) campaign will start April 15 when tests for rape victims, male circumcision and allocation of condoms will be completed on a large scale.

Male circumcision and allotment of condoms has been regarded as top priority by the Ministry. While South Africa requires 2.5 billion male condoms every year, 177 million have already been bought for the initial stage of the campaign.

Last week, 91 million condoms were doled out.

During the campaign, Motsoaledi said that the department will launch medical male circumcision on a huge scale.

The Minister said that by 2015, about 2.5 million male circumcisions will be performed and the he himself promised to conduct 1,000 of them.

The Minister pledged that the rape victims will no longer require a case number before receiving treatment at health institutes.

He said, “We can no longer allow hospital CEOs to send back rape survivors to the police station to get case numbers first before getting treatment”.

During the mission, over 4,300 health facilities will look after the need of the people.