Home Feature Articles Responding to HIV in Viet Nam - progress made but continued action needed

Responding to HIV in Viet Nam - progress made but continued action needed

Print Email

do_vio_in_vn
The rate of new HIV infections in Viet Nam has stabilized but more work is needed to reach out further to key affected populations.
Ha Noi, 1 December – On this year’s World AIDS Day, the UN applauded Viet Nam’s exemplary political commitment in responding to its HIV epidemic over the past 20 years. This has led to solid results in scaling up prevention and treatment, including harm reduction among drug users and provision of life-saving treatment for people living with HIV.

"We have seen significant progress in Viet Nam,” said Mr. Steve Kraus, UNAIDS Asia-Pacific Regional Director. “The rate of new HIV infections has stabilized and there are fewer people dying from HIV. But to sustain progress and reach universal access we must reach out further to key affected populations and ensure all programmes are firmly grounded in human rights principles. People must be able to access HIV services where they feel safe and are ensured the best possible confidential care, without fear of stigmatization.”

Viet Nam’s HIV epidemic is concentrated among people who inject drugs, sex workers and men who have sex with men. Nearly one in five injecting drug users are living with HIV nationwide, and in some areas of the country HIV prevalence in this key population is more than 50 percent. A 2009 study found that HIV prevalence among female sex workers in ten provinces was 8.5 percent, varying from 0.3 percent to 23 percent. Across Viet Nam, an estimated 243,000 people were living with the disease at the end of 2009.

"Viet Nam's success in increasing antiretroviral treatment 16-times over the past five years is outstanding," said Dr. Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of WHO’s HIV/AIDS Department. “However, the tuberculosis and HIV burden is still high. We look forward to working with Viet Nam to implement WHO guidelines, including the new advice we are issuing today on vital TB prevention needed for people living with HIV.”

Noting current flat-lining of global funding on AIDS, the UN also underlined how countries such as Viet Nam will increasingly be required to build sufficient resource bases to commit higher levels of funds domestically to AIDS.

“Funding for the HIV response is a wise investment for the future well-being of Viet Nam, and must be a shared responsibility between Government and the international community,” said Mr. John Hendra, the UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam. “The UN has been supporting Viet Nam in all areas of the response during the last 20 years and we will remain fully supportive of the response but have become much stronger, more effective and with more impact than ever by ‘delivering as one’.”

See also:

More news