Delegates launched the 2026 National Month of Action for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control at a ceremony in the southern city of Cần Thơ on November 5 under the theme “Mobilising community strength – Joining hands to end the AIDS epidemic." — VNA/VNS Photo

CẦN THƠ — Việt Nam is seeking to strengthen community participation, expand access to HIV prevention and treatment services and embrace scientific advances as it accelerates efforts to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030.

The Ministry of Health and the Cần Thơ People's Committee launched the 2026 National Month of Action for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control at a conference in Cần Thơ on Thursday, bringing together government officials, international organisations, health experts and community representatives to discuss progress and emerging challenges in the national HIV response.

Running from November 10 to December 10 under the theme “Mobilising community strength – Joining hands to end the AIDS epidemic”, the campaign highlights the importance of collective action, shared responsibility, and stronger partnerships between government agencies, healthcare providers and communities.

Addressing the conference, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Thị Liên Hương said 2026 marked 36 years of Việt Nam's HIV/AIDS efforts, during which the country had developed a comprehensive and increasingly effective prevention and treatment programme.

However, changing patterns of HIV transmission have created new challenges, with sexual transmission becoming the predominant route of infection and men who have sex with men (MSM) accounting for the largest proportion of newly detected cases. The group is also showing a trend towards younger ages.

She stressed that community-based organisations and outreach workers played an increasingly important role in bringing healthcare services closer to people in need, addressing stigma and discrimination, and ensuring equitable access to prevention, testing and treatment.

Global strategy puts communities at the centre

Patricia Ongpin, UNAIDS Country Director for Việt Nam, highlighted the Global AIDS Strategy 2026–2031, which calls for stronger national ownership, meaningful community leadership, and sustainable long-term financing.

The strategy identifies three priorities: sustaining the HIV response through resilient health systems and sustainable financing; providing people-focused services that uphold equity, dignity and access; and empowering communities to take a leading role in the response.

It also calls for HIV services to be better integrated into national healthcare, social protection and community systems, with a stronger emphasis on human rights and the removal of structural barriers that prevent vulnerable populations from accessing services.

For Asia and the Pacific, the priorities include increasing domestic investment, strengthening primary healthcare systems, improving data and information systems, expanding HIV prevention and treatment, and ensuring meaningful participation by community organisations.

Ongpin also emphasised that scientific advances alone would not be sufficient to end AIDS without accessible services, sustained investment and community leadership.

New scientific advances expand prevention and treatment options

The conference also highlighted new developments in HIV prevention and treatment, including long-acting medicines, simplified treatment regimens and more effective approaches to clinical monitoring.

Dr Nguyễn Thị Kim Chi, Associate Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office in HCM City, outlined scientific advances that could make HIV treatment simpler, more personalised, and more accessible.

Among the developments is the once-weekly oral combination of islatravir and lenacapavir (ISL/LEN), and the long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine (CAB/RPV), administered every eight weeks.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has also updated its recommendations to include dolutegravir plus lamivudine (DTG+3TC) as an ART simplification option for adults and adolescents with undetectable HIV viral loads, as well as long-acting injectable CAB/RPV as an alternative treatment-switching option for those with suppressed viral loads.

Dr Van Thi Thuy Nguyen of WHO's Country Office in Việt Nam said the updated recommendations were part of the efforts to improve HIV clinical management and make services more responsive to patients' needs.

WHO also recommends long-acting injectable lenacapavir as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option for HIV prevention. Administered twice a year, it could broaden prevention choices, alongside existing PrEP methods.

The organisation recommends that countries consider population-specific needs, differentiated service delivery models, provider training and community participation when introducing lenacapavir.

Another development concerns doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (Doxy-PEP), which WHO says may be offered to MSM and transgender women to prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The recommendation prioritises people with recent or recurrent STIs, particularly syphilis, and those in high-incidence sexual networks. WHO also calls for monitoring antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic consumption.

Việt Nam records progress but challenges remain

According to the Ministry of Health's Department of Disease Prevention, Việt Nam had 258,047 people living with HIV as of August 2026, while 5,938 new infections were detected during the first eight months of the year.

By the end of 2025, 94.9 per cent of people living with HIV knew their HIV status, while 80.5 per cent were receiving ART. Among those receiving treatment, 95.6 per cent had achieved viral suppression.

The results reinforce the principle of Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U), meaning people living with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load through effective treatment do not transmit the virus sexually.

Việt Nam has also been recognised by WHO as a regional leader in the Asia-Pacific in the number of people using PrEP. Coverage among MSM reached 29.7 per cent, approaching the 30 per cent target.

More than 1,700 healthcare facilities provide HIV screening services, while hundreds of thousands of condoms and sterile needles and syringes have been distributed free of charge. Methadone and buprenorphine maintenance treatment programmes for people with opioid dependence have also been maintained.

ART has been successfully integrated into the health insurance system, with 96 per cent of people receiving treatment holding health insurance cards. Digital initiatives, including the self-testing platform tuxetnghiem.vn, have also been rolled out in 25 provinces and cities.

Despite these achievements, Việt Nam faces challenges in sustaining its HIV response, particularly as sexual transmission becomes more prevalent and new infections increasingly affect younger people in key populations.

Deputy Minister Nguyễn Thị Liên Hương said the 2030 deadline for ending AIDS as a public health threat was approaching, requiring stronger coordination and a greater sense of responsibility across all levels of government and society.

She called for people-centred approaches that prioritise prevention, early detection, treatment and care, alongside efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination.

With sustained political commitment, scientific innovation and the active participation of communities, Việt Nam aims to consolidate its achievements and accelerate progress towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030, ensuring that no one is left behind. — VNS