Vietnam Deputy PM Appreciates Int’l Support to AIDS Fight

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong, who is also chairman of the National Committee for AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention, highly spoke of international support to Vietnam’s HIV/AIDS fight while receiving officials from foreign embassies, organizations and donors in Hanoi.  At a year-end talk held Nov 30 responding to World AIDS Day [Dec 1], Trong emphasized the combat against HIV/AIDS has gained satisfactory achievements thanks to concerted efforts by ministries, localities and international organizations.  By end-Sept of 2009, Vietnam identified 156,307 people with HIV/AIDS including 34,110 AIDS developers, 453 pregnant women. Currently, 63 provinces and cities have carried out ARV treatment services for HIV-infected people.  In 2010, Trong told the guests, the committee would focus on providing people with basic knowledge on ways to prevent infection and reducing their discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS. The committee’s chairman hoped international donors would assist Vietnam to produce methadone for drug addiction detoxification by itself.