LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- One million free text messages will be sent every day for 12 months from Monday in South Africa in a bid to raise HIV awareness and encourage testing for the disease . Former South African president Nelson Mandela launched a similar cell phone initiative in 2003 . The ambitious Project Masiluleke is being rolled out across the country after a pilot period that saw calls to a AIDS national helpline shoot up by 200 percent , organizers say . The United Nations estimates that there are currently six million people living with HIV in South Africa and just one in 10 get the treatment they need . `` South Africa is the epicenter of the global HIV epidemic , '' said HIV activist Zinny Thabethe in Octorber at an annual conference for the social innovation network Pop ! Tech , an organization instrumental in developing the concept . 'Project Masiluleke , ' or 'Project M ' was set up to try to encourage people to seek testing and treatment in a country where cell phones are abundant . Africa is cited as the fastest growing mobile-phone network in the world . In South Africa , more than 80 percent of the population has one -- the country has a population of 49 million , and it is estimated that 43 million have cell phones . Almost 95 percent of the phones are prepaid . The initiative plans to broadcast millions of health messages every month to phones across South Africa . `` This is the largest ever use of cell phones for health information , '' said Gustav Praekelt , one of the project 's originators . `` There is near universal coverage , '' said Praekelt during the launch of the project . `` And in the absence of other services , the mobile phone has become the central component for people to get access to information . '' Organizers say 'Project M ' will offer South Africans the privacy to get tested and pursue treatment options and counseling by staff who are HIV positive themselves . The system sends the messages using a so-called `` Please Call Me '' ( PCM ) service . This free form of text messaging , common across Africa , allows someone without any phone credit to send a text to a friend asking them to call . Each sent PCM message has the words `` Please Call Me , '' the phone number of the caller , and space for an additional 120 characters . The extra space is normally filled with advertising , which helps offset the cost of running the service . The message reads : `` Frequently sick , tired , losing weight and scared that you might be HIV positive ? Please call AIDS Helpline 0800012322 . '' Encouraging people to get tested is a huge challenge in a country where people with the AIDS virus still face stigma and shame . However , 'Project M ' appears to be having an impact , since it was initiated in October . `` We have observed a dramatic increase in the call rate to the AIDS Helpline -- from approximately 1,300 calls per day to a new average of 3,600 , '' said Milo Zama , Projects Development Manager for LifeLine , one of the partners . Trained operators provide callers with accurate healthcare information , and referrals to local testing clinics . Many of the messages are broadcast in English and in local languages such as Zulu . As well as Pop ! Tech , the project has been developed and funded by HIV charities and technology and design firms , including Nokia Siemens , MTN , the Praekelt Foundation , iTeach and National Geographic . Pop ! Tech 's Director of Communications Jason Rzepka told CNN there are plans to expand the project to other affected countries after its official launch in February 2009 . He said : `` One of the objectives of the February launch event will be to secure additional funding , so we can continue to expand Project Masiluleke into its planned 2nd and 3rd phases beyond South Africa . ''
One million free texts will be sent every day for 12 months from Monday . Project Masiluleke has seen rise in use of AIDS helpline during pilot project . Score: 6