HIV/AIDS prevention needs support of the community: Deputy PM Dam

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has said that with support and companionship from the community and social organisations both at home and abroad, people living with HIV/AIDS have been striving to overcome difficulties in order to make contributions to and integrate effectively into society.

 

Speaking during a meeting in Hanoi this morning on enhancing cooperation between social organisations and partners in HIV/AIDS prevention and control, the deputy PM affirmed that prevention and the fight against HIV was one of the highest priorities from the Government of Vietnam. Thanks to joint efforts, to date the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country has been gradually brought under control, he said.

Illustration image. Photo: HUU CHI

“It is particularly important that the society recognises people living with HIV/AIDS as patients who need help, while remembering that in 2016 there were still another 10,000 new HIV infections in Vietnam. So, if we do not actively prevent the pandemic, it will be very easy for it to flare up once again," said Deputy PM Dam.

During 2011-2015, the total budget for HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities in Vietnam stood at about VND4.6 trillion (US$202.4 million), of which funding from international organisations played an important role, accounting for 60%. This shows that HIV/AIDS prevention is not limited to agencies or among those vulnerable but needs the participation of social organisations and the community, he affirmed.

 

The government official stressed that there should be promotion in dissemination through various forms of community activities to terminate HIV, in addition to building financial plans for the prevention of HIV/AIDS, strengthening methadone treatment, building effective rehabilitation models, and facilitating coordination among the national committees and socio-political organisations to strengthen prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, drugs and prostitution.

 

Regarding the UN 90-90-90 target, aiming by 2020 to have 90% of people living with HIV aware of their HIV status, 90% of people diagnosed with HIV receiving sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90% of people receiving antiretroviral therapy virally suppressed, thereby ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030, Deputy PM Dam stressed that the clock is ticking and there are a lot of work to do to increase the percentage of people living with HIV/AIDS to be tested and given access to treatment with antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.

 

In addition to support from social organisations in the country and around the globe, the health sector is developing plans to increase the proportion of HIV-infected people treated with ARV drugs (currently at 55%) during 2016-2020, with funding expected at over VND2.9 trillion (US$127.6 million), nearly double that of the 2011-2015 period. Along with that, the PM has issued a decision on ensuring that 100% of HIV-infected people are covered by health insurance.

 

Amidst sharply-declining international aid, to ensure quality of services, strengthening cooperation and links among civil societies plays a very important role to achieve the objectives set out and contribute to ending the HIV epidemic in Vietnam by 2030.

(Source: NDO)