Vietnamplus

An annual programme to eradicate HIV transmitted from mothers to children is in full swing this June.

The northwest mountainous province of Son La, with the high number of drug addicts in the region, has been active in preventing HIV/AIDS infections.

The first-ever auto-racing circus to meet international standards will open soon in the southern province of Long An.

Anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS will be paid by health insurance from June 2016, said the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention under the Ministry of Public Health.

Health experts debated measures to effect HIV/AIDS prevention, stressing the need to expand preventive activities, Methadone therapy, anti-retroviral treatment and open bidding for drug supplies.

Vietnam is far from achieving the 90-90-90 targets set by the United Nations (UN) to end HIV/AIDS by 2020, said Dr. Nguyen Hoang Long, head of the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control.

Authorities of HCM City have set a target of curbing the rate of new HIV cases at 0.03 percent in the community by 2020, and controlling the rate of people living with HIV at 0.6 percent in 2016-2020.

Up to 100,000 people living with HIV nationwide are currently being treated with antiretroviral (ARV) drug as a result of the on-going effective HIV/AIDS prevention and control programme in Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City plans to expand anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy to general district hospitals in an aim to achieve treatment targets set by 2020.

Discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in families, work places and health care establishments is hindering Vietnam’s HIV/AIDS prevention efforts.

The northern mountainous province of Son La targets to keep the rate of HIV/AIDS infections in the community below 0.65 percent from 2016-2017, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

The 90-90-90 Plan, which aims to end the AIDS epidemic in Vietnam by 2020 under a HIV prevention programme initiated by the United Nations, will be piloted in five localities from 2017-2015.

Residents on the outskirts of Hanoi, including Ba Vi and adjacent localities, will receive free consultations and tests for HIV/AIDS through an intervention model launched on August 11.