The Ministry of Education and Higher Education South Africa have developed a policy framework on HIV and AIDS framed within the South African constitution, the HIV and AIDS and STI national strategic plan for South Africa, 2007-2011, and related legislation, policies and protocols. The policy framework on HIV and AIDS was developed for the sector, comprising of 23 higher education institutions and including over 700,000 students and more than 40,000 members of staff. It was informed through a consultative process involving all relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries (inclusive of the department of education - higher education branch, the higher education institutions and other relevant statutory bodies). A common and comprehensive understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the HE sector and individual higher education institutions with respect to HIV and AIDS was developed. Implementation of the sector policy framework within the context of the responses by individual higher education institutions is aimed at facilitating the sector's contribution to an improvement in the quality of life for HIV and AIDS affected and infected individuals and to reduce the social and economic impact of HIV and AIDS. More specifically, it will contribute to the main objective of the HIV and AIDS and STI national strategic plan for South Africa, 2007-20116 which is to reduce the number of new HIV infections in South Africa by 50% by 2011.