Towards the end of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 2030

“Ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic, young people are ready” is the theme of the National Month of Action for the prevention and control of this disease which runs from November 10 to December 10.

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Medical consultation around HIV/AIDS in Ho Chi Minh City.
Photo : VNA/CVN

The National Month of Action for the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, launched by the National Committee for the Prevention and Fight against AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution, aims to achieve several objectives: to put an end to this epidemic by 2030, reduce stigma and discrimination against infected people, strengthen support from their families and society as a whole.

“According to the data of the first nine months of 2022 from the Ministry of Health, Vietnam has about 250,000 people infected with HIV and the number of new cases detected nationwide was 9,025, the number of deaths was 1,378. There is also a trend towards a younger age of the affected population. The main route of transmission for people aged 19 to 30 is sexual.”said Vo Hai Son, head of the Supervision and Testing Bureau of the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control of the Ministry of Health.

Returning to the results obtained, another representative of the department said that Vietnam had reduced the number of new infections and people dying of HIV/AIDS by more than two thirds compared to 10 years ago. This rate has declined rapidly among injecting drug users (from 28.6% in 2004 to 12.7% in 2019) and sex workers (from 5.9% in 2002 to 3.1% in 2020).

Raising awareness among young people

The country maintains its goal of controlling the infection rate in the population to less than 0.3% (currently estimated at 0.26%) to reduce its impact on health and socio-economic development.

However, the epidemic situation remains complicated. HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) has tended to increase rapidly in recent years (from 3.9% in 2011 to 5.1% in 2015 and 13.3% in 2020).

The main route of transmission is unprotected sex especially in the male homosexual community. The spread within the 15-24 age group has increased rapidly from 4.0% in 2012 to 12.9% in 2019 and 25.6% in 2021. Nearly 90% are sexually infected and 74.6% by homosexual men.

Therefore, the theme for National HIV/AIDS Action Month this year focuses more on young people. “Messages and knowledge in this area must be widely disseminated in the community, especially among young people so that they can better protect themselves”said Phan Thi Thu Huong, head of the Department of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, during a press conference held on November 17 in Hanoi.

According to the 2021 population census, the rate of understanding of HIV infection prevention among women aged 15 to 24 is only 39.8% compared to 48.7% among men. The rate of discriminatory attitudes towards HIV carriers among women aged 15 to 24 is 36.6%, and among men 39.7%.

So, “in 2021, the Ministry of Health sent texts to the Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor asking them to strengthen communication around HIV prevention and control /AIDS in schools and industrial areas”insisted a representative of the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control.

Thus, action plans have been put in place in a number of schools and industrial parks in localities where the epidemic situation is still complicated such as Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Long An, Hai Phong… However, these activities are not yet regular there.

In order to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among young people, the Youth Union must carry out various communication activities adapted to the conditions of each unit through direct and indirect communication channels, in particular through internet.

In schools, it is necessary to organize seminars, writing competitions on this subject and to integrate it into artistic activities and media events.

Awareness-raising and educational activities in the fight against HIV/AIDS among students in the commune of Tân Dông, province of Tây Ninh (South).
Photo : BTN/CVN

For young workers, there is a need to strengthen education and communication activities focusing on prevention and control measures, services, reduction of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, especially in industrial areas where there are many male workers.

For a better life

On August 14, 2020, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also approved a national strategy to end HIV/AIDS by 2030. The end of the epidemic does not mean that there will be no more infected people. by this virus, and that no one will die from it, but that this disease will no longer be a serious health problem in the community.

Vietnam’s objectives: the number of people with HIV detected below 1,000 cases per year (currently more than 10,000 cases per year), the death rate below the threshold of 1/100,000 inhabitants (currently estimated at 3.5/100,000 inhabitants), the rate of HIV transmission from mother to child below the 2% limit (currently 6%).

To achieve these objectives, young people but also the whole community will have to act together. Ending HIV/AIDS for a better life.

Thao Nguyen/CVN

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