Indian President Abdul Kalam is seeking to join forces with South Africa in tackling HIV and AIDS, as the two countries are estimated to have the highest number of infected people.
At a meeting with President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday in Cape Town, Kalam suggested the two countries build links that could serve as a model for partnerships between other developing as well as developed nations.
The Indo-Asian News Service quoted the Indian president as saying: "It is time that the national and international agencies join together to mount a concerted programme in eliminating this dreaded disease from planet earth."
Research shows that some 5.6 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa and 5.1-million in India.
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