The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Hanoi stood at 20,666 as of October 31, ranking second nationwide and making up 10 percent of the country’s total cases (Illustrative photo: Medical News Today) Hanoi (VNA) – The number ofpeople living with HIV/AIDS in Hanoi stood at 20,666 as of October 31, rankingsecond nationwide and making up 10 percent of the country’s total cases.
Notably, 30 percent of these people areundiagnosed, while many have yet to take life-saving antiretroviral (ARV)therapy or have given up the ARV treatment, according to the city’s centre fordisease control.
Hanoi has taken various steps to prevent theincreasing rate of HIV infections. The city has expanded its provision ofmethadone treatment for drug users at 18 health care facilities and given awaycondoms and injection needles to high-risk people across all districts.
However, according to the Hanoi Departmentof Health, the effectiveness of local prevention efforts remains low as thepattern of HIV infection is complicated and changing. The prevalence of HIVtransmission through blood in Hanoi dropped, but sexually-transmittedinfections rose this year. The number of new HIV infections among gay menincreased sharply, from 1.1 percent in 2015 to 24.8 percent in 2018.
Many people living with HIV/AIDS refuse HIVtesting and treatment due to fear of being discriminated by society. It is oneof the main causes behind the low rate of new HIV infections being detected andof HIV-positive people joining ARV treatment.
Funding cuts and lack of personnel andfacilities for HIV/AIDS control and prevention has also contributed to theproblems.
According to the Ministry of Health, about50,000 people living with HIV in Vietnam remain unidentified. Some 209,000HIV-affected people are recorded in the country, however only 175,000 areseeking or undergoing treatment. Only 130,000 patients receive sustainable ARVtreatment.
In the first six months of 2018, 3,500 new cases of HIV infectionwere found, more than 1,800 of which developed into AIDS. A total of 814HIV-positive people died during this period.
Compared to the same period last year, the number of new HIVinfections, new AIDS patients, and deaths from HIV-related illnesses decreasedby 30 percent, 27 percent, and 2 percent, respectively.
The percentage of HIV infected people among drug abusers and sexworkers rose from 7.36 percent in 2017 to 12.2 percent in 2018. The lack ofsupport for these vulnerable groups has meant that the disease has been hard tocontrol across this demographic. –VNA
Notably, 30 percent of these people areundiagnosed, while many have yet to take life-saving antiretroviral (ARV)therapy or have given up the ARV treatment, according to the city’s centre fordisease control.
Hanoi has taken various steps to prevent theincreasing rate of HIV infections. The city has expanded its provision ofmethadone treatment for drug users at 18 health care facilities and given awaycondoms and injection needles to high-risk people across all districts.
However, according to the Hanoi Departmentof Health, the effectiveness of local prevention efforts remains low as thepattern of HIV infection is complicated and changing. The prevalence of HIVtransmission through blood in Hanoi dropped, but sexually-transmittedinfections rose this year. The number of new HIV infections among gay menincreased sharply, from 1.1 percent in 2015 to 24.8 percent in 2018.
Many people living with HIV/AIDS refuse HIVtesting and treatment due to fear of being discriminated by society. It is oneof the main causes behind the low rate of new HIV infections being detected andof HIV-positive people joining ARV treatment.
Funding cuts and lack of personnel andfacilities for HIV/AIDS control and prevention has also contributed to theproblems.
According to the Ministry of Health, about50,000 people living with HIV in Vietnam remain unidentified. Some 209,000HIV-affected people are recorded in the country, however only 175,000 areseeking or undergoing treatment. Only 130,000 patients receive sustainable ARVtreatment.
In the first six months of 2018, 3,500 new cases of HIV infectionwere found, more than 1,800 of which developed into AIDS. A total of 814HIV-positive people died during this period.
Compared to the same period last year, the number of new HIVinfections, new AIDS patients, and deaths from HIV-related illnesses decreasedby 30 percent, 27 percent, and 2 percent, respectively.
The percentage of HIV infected people among drug abusers and sexworkers rose from 7.36 percent in 2017 to 12.2 percent in 2018. The lack ofsupport for these vulnerable groups has meant that the disease has been hard tocontrol across this demographic. –VNA
VNA
