Conference reviews AIDS, drugs, prostitution prevention

Photo: VGP

Under the chair of Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, who also heads the National Committee for HIV/AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control, the conference evaluated achievements and shortcomings and heard specific suggestions in the work from now to the end of the year.

According to the committee’s report, over the past six months, 3,133 new HIV infected cases have been recorded; 1,388 HIV carriers have developed full-blown AIDS and 462 have died from the disease. The number of new infections decreased by 26% and deaths fell by 48% from the same period a year before.

By the end of April, people living with HIV numbered 219,163 with 67.557 of them being full-blown AIDS and 69,449 deaths related to the disease.

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that the decrease is slight and instable as the disease is still serious and tends to spread in several mountainous regions.

In big cities, high infection remained among high-risk groups while male prostitutes and the use of synthetic drugs have risen, she noted.

Meanwhile, prostitution and drugs crimes continue to have complicated developments. As many as 182,799 drug addicts have been recorded, increasing 1,403 people, equivalent to a 0.8% rise over 2013.

Regarding main shortcomings in preventing AIDS, drugs and prostitution, Minister Tien said that State budget and donation for the work sharply decreased while social resources for it were still limited and targets set for the prevention were higher. This resulted in a shortage of HIV/AIDS prevention services and a danger of the epidemic return with higher rate of drug resistance.

The amount of drug illegally brought into or from the country is still large; detoxification at many centers was not effective and the rate of relapse was still high.

Many models of detoxification in the community are effective but find it difficult to be repeated because of inappropriate investment mechanisms.

In addition, several ministries and agencies have yet closely followed the committee’s plan for 2014, Tien added.
 
                                                                                                      By Vien Nhu