$168m pledged to battle HIV/AIDS

HA NOI (VNS)— Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a VND3.7 trillion (US$168million) programme to combat HIV/AIDS in the 2012-15 period.

The programme is expected to contribute to the successful implementation of the national strategy for fighting the disease by 2020 with vision to 2030, reducing the HIV infection ratio in communities to less than 0.3 per cent and lessening its impact on socio-economic development.

One of the programme's goals is that by 2015, 60 per cent of people from 15 to 49 must understand how to protect themselves from the disease and be able to argue against common misconceptions. The programme also aims to lower the HIV infection ratio to less than 5 per cent for prostitutes, less than 10 per cent for gay men and less than 15 per cent for intravenous drug users.

By 2015, the programme also aims to provide 70 per cent of people living with HIV with ARV treatment and reduce the HIV infection ratio of children born to mothers living with HIV to less than 5 per cent.

The programme will be implemented in 63 provinces and cities across the country. It has four components: education on HIV/AIDS, prevention, surveillance, support for treatment and prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission, and strengthened capacity for HIV/AIDS controlling centres.

At the end of March 2012, Viet Nam had 201,134 HIV carriers and 57,733 AIDS patients. The number of new HIV cases fell by 1,065 against the same period of 2011. — VNS