Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked researchers to develop preferential orientations for HIV/AIDS studies for effective intervention models.

Addressing the fifth national scientific conference on HIV/AIDS prevention in Hanoi on December 2, the deputy PM added that the outcomes of the studies will be widely disseminated and applied nationwide.

Localities should mobilise more resources and invest more in HIV/AIDS prevention while raising people’s awareness on the issue and reducing discrimination against HIV/AIDS infected people, he said.

He also asked the health ministries, relevant branches and agencies to strengthen service supply to ensure the right of every person to access HIV prevention and treatment services.

The deputy PM said he hopes Vietnam will be able to control the epidemic in order to fulfil the national strategy’s targets set by the Government.

The Government official also commended and spoke highly of the contributions made by ministries, branches, localities, social organisations, mass media and people to HIV/AIDS prevention.

Over the past 20 years struggling against the disease, Vietnam has gained impressive achievements, including successfully controlling the HIV infection rate to under 0.3 percent and decreases in the number of new HIV cases and deaths caused by AIDS for four consecutive years, according to the deputy PM.

To achieve these, the Party, State and community have paid special attention to HIV/AIDS prevention, by issuing sufficient legal documents, strengthening resources, inter-ministerial collaboration as well as international cooperation in the activity, he added.

During the two-day event, about 100 scientific reports will be presented at six seminars.-VNA