IPU vows to work closely with Vietnam in HIV/AIDS prevention

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) pledged to work closely with Vietnam to prevent and deter the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Secretary General Martin Chungong told National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong at a meeting in Hanoi on November 30.

He recognised Vietnam’s achievements in the field and said he hopes the Southeast Asian country will become a strong member within the union.

Martin Chungong appreciated the country’s preparations for the 132nd IPU Assembly – which is scheduled for March 2015 in Hanoi – adding that he believes the event will be a success.

The Vietnamese lawmaker asked the IPU to co-ordinate closely with Vietnam in drafting the Hanoi Statement, which demonstrates the determination of parliamentarians worldwide to achieve post-2015 sustainable development targets for a world of peace, friendship, democracy and development.

She said that Vietnam is honoured to have been selected once more to participate in the trilateral co-operation program on HIV/AIDS among the IPU, the UNAIDS, and an IPU member parliament.

The results of this program, particularly the role of the Vietnamese National Assembly in combating HIV/AIDS and realising the millennium development goals, will be introduced at the upcoming 132nd IPU Assembly.

Vietnam, which became a member of the IPU in 1979, is striving to put an end to the AIDS pandemic by 2030.

According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam currently has around 260,000 HIV-infected patients, with only just over half being aware of their HIV positive status.

By June 2014, a total of 86,771 patients of all ages were under antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, accounting for 32% of the infected number of patients, still a long way off from the UN’s targeted goal.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)