Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi has 20 HIV counseling and testing points, 22 outpatient clinics and 18 centres that provide methadone treatment for drug addicts.
Up to 85 percent of AIDS patients treated with antiretroviral (ARV) drugs have been given HIV testing, and more than 53 percent of HIV carriers in the capital city are put under the ARV therapy.
The number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Hanoi stood at nearly 20,000 as of mid-year 2018, ranking second nationwide and making up about 10 percent of the country’s total cases.
The city has, to date, recorded 6,000 deaths due to HIV/AIDS, with HIV carriers reported in all districts.
Apart from the increase of sexually transmitted infections, changes in population have hindered Hanoi’s efforts in controlling the epidemic.
Hanoi is making all-out efforts to achieve the 90-90-90 goals in HIV/AIDS prevention set by the United Nations by 2020.
The 90-90-90 goals mean that by 2020, 90 percent of HIV-infected people will know their infection status, 90 percent will receive ARV drugs and 90 percent of people taking ARV drugs will have durable viral suppression.
To that end, the city’s health sector has set forth a detailed plan which assigns specific tasks for towns and districts, while consolidating and expanding HIV/AIDS testing and treatment services, and intensifying communication work to raise public awareness of the disease.-VNA
VNA
