Society

HIV/AIDS epidemic changes in gender, age group

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has changed significantly in gender and age groups, deputy head of Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control Chu Quoc An said on July 15 at an online meeting to review the fight against the disease in the first six months of the year.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic has changed significantly in gender and agegroups, deputy head of Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control ChuQuoc An said on July 15 at an online meeting to review the fight againstthe disease in the first six months of the year.

By June 30, the whole country had 176,436 people with HIV/AIDS.
Ho Chi Minh City records the highest number of patients in the nationwith 25.9 percent of HIV-infected people, he said.

According to the statistics, there was a major change in the genderratio among the infected with 70 percent being men and 30 percent beingwomen in 2010. In 2009, the rate was 82 and 18 percent, respectively.

The 20-29 age group makes up 39 percent while the30-39 age group accounts for 42.6 percent in 2010, against 52 percentand 31 percent in 2009.

An affirmed that HIV/AIDSprevention work has achieved positive results in the first six months ofthe year, covering 494 districts across 61 cities and provinces,drawing 4,600 collaborators, setting up 315 points for anti-retroviral(ARV) treatment and treating over 42,000 AIDS patients.

However, the work still faces problems, including the overload ofpatients at ARV treatment facilities, especially in Ho Chi Minh City,the shortage of qualified staff and difficulty of access to HIVinfection preventative service for high-risk groups.

At the event, representatives from 18 provinces put forward proposalssuch as promoting training of HIV/AIDS field staff and providingequipment and human resources for HIV prevention centres in theprovinces./.
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