Vietnam Detects 14,000 New HIV Infections Every Year

Vietnam reports 12,000-14,000 new HIV cases every year, putting the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in all cities and provinces nationwide at 254,000 to date, according to a recent conference held by Ministry of Health in Hanoi. For the past years, Vietnam has seen a significant decline in the number of new HIV infections, from 17,800 in 2015 to 10,000 in 2015, while the numbers of AIDS patients and fatalities have also reduced from 8,900 in 2010 to 6,500 in 2015 and 3,300 in 2010 to 2000 in 2015, respectively. Vietnam is the first nation in Asia that aims to achieve the target 90-90-90 of United Nations, which means that by 2020, 90% of people living with HIV will know their status, 90% with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral (AVR) therapy and 90% of them receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression. In Vietnam, just more than half of the patients know about their HIV positive status. HIV/AIDS-infected people are mainly young and in working ages. HIV is spread mainly through sex or sharing injection drug equipment, such as needles, with someone who has HIV. (Phap Luat Vietnam – Vietnam Law Jan 15 p2, vietnamplus.vn Jan 14)