Hanoi is facing many difficultiesin working towards the 90-90-90 goals and ending the AIDS pandemic by 2030. The90-90-90 goals mean by 2020, 90 percent of all people living withHIV will know their HIV status, 90 percent of all people with diagnosed HIVinfection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90 percent ofall people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.
As of the end of October thisyear, Hanoi detected 28,421 HIV carriers, with 22,328 still alive. It isestimated that around 4,000 people have been diagnosed with HIV, but are yet toreceive antiretroviral therapy. Social stigma anddiscrimination against HIV/AIDS patients still exist, which makes the patientshesitate to access HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services.
Vice Chairman Son said People’s Committees ofall districts and the Steering Committees for combating social evils (Committee138) of all localities are required to build specific plans of actions to realizethe goals related to HIV/AIDS.
He urged local authorities to create favourableconditions for community-based organisations to access high-risk groups,provide consultations and tests, persuade HIV carriers to receive treatment andreduce discrimination.
District administrations must allocate localbudget to activities to prevent and fight HIV/AIDS, the official said.
UNAIDS CountryDirector Marie-Odile Emond said the city should take urgent action as gapsstill remain in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
'Undetectable = Untransmittable' (U=U) is an important message that should bespread widely so that more people will join hands in the fight, she said. /.