VietNamNet Bridge – With more than 220,000 people infected with HIV, Vietnam ranks fifth in Asia-Pacific (after India, China, Indonesia and Thailand) for the number of HIV carriers, said Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long.
Vietnam has controlled the growth rate of new HIV infections and reduced the number of deaths due to AIDS. However, the situation has become more complicated.
Each year Vietnam has about 10,000 new HIV carriers and HIV/AIDS remains the leading cause of disease in the country. Investment for prevention is decreasing. In addition, interventions have not been sufficient and discrimination against patients with HIV or AIDS continues.
HIV in Vietnam is mainly concentrated in three groups of population at risk: drug addicts, men who have sex with men and sex workers. The increase in cases of newly HIV-infected women, accounting for over 32% of new infections in 2013, shows the transmission of HIV from men with high-risk behaviors to their partners.
Admitting that discrimination against HIV/AIDS is still a big problem, Deputy Minister Long stressed that HIV/AIDS can only be terminated when there is no discrimination.
Discrimination causes people at high-risk of contracting HIV and HIV/AIDS carriers lead secret lives, concealing their disease, which increases the risk of transmitting HIV to others.
To end this situation, every citizen should reject the misconceptions about the disease, and eliminate unnecessary fear, Deputy Long said.
This year the World Day Against HIV/AIDS focuses on raising awareness and urging people to oppose discrimination against those with HIV/AIDS.
Le Ha