The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) pledged to work closely with
Vietnam to prevent and drive back 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 in the union.
Martin Chungong appreciated the country’s preparations for the 132nd
IPU Assembly – which is slated for March 2015 in Hanoi – adding
that he believed the event will be a success.
For
her part, the Vietnamese lawmaker asked the IPU to coordinate closely
with Vietnam in drafting the Hanoi Statement that demonstrates the
resolve of parliamentarians worldwide to work for post-2015
sustainable development targets for a world of peace, friendship,
democracy and development.
She said that Vietnam
is honoured to be selected again to participate in the trilateral
cooperation programme on HIV/AIDS among the IPU, the UNAIDS, and an IPU
member parliament.
The results of this programme,
particularly the role of the Vietnamese National Assembly in combating
HIV/AIDS and implementing the millennium development goals, will be
introduced at the upcoming 132nd IPU Asembly.
Vietnam, which became a member of the IPU in 1979, is striving to end AIDS by 2030.
According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam currently has around
224,000 HIV-infected patients, and just more than half of them know
about their HIV positive status. Around 10,000 new HIV infections are
detected each year./.