Eliminating these barriers is an urgent requirement to ensure that no one is left behind on the journey toward ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
Patterns of transmission have changed
According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, since the first HIV case was detected in Ho Chi Minh City in 1990, HIV/AIDS has spread nationwide over the past 35 years and remains complex in its developments. By the end of 2024, Vietnam had recorded 245,762 people living with HIV and 116,004 deaths.
In 2024 alone, the country reported 13,351 new HIV cases and 1,905 deaths, primarily among men who have sex with men with sexual transmission accounting for more than 80 percent.
Deputy Director Nguyen Luong Tam of the Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health, noted that in the past, the main routes of HIV transmission in Vietnam were through blood such as drug injection or transfusion, sexual contact including sex work, and mother-to-child transmission during childbirth.
Today, mother-to-child transmission has almost been eliminated, while sexual transmission has become the dominant route. The affected population has shifted from sex workers to men who have sex with men. In 2024, more than 68 percent of newly detected HIV cases were concentrated in the Mekong Delta, Southeast region, and Ho Chi Minh City.
In Ho Chi Minh City, data from the Center for Disease Control show that as of June 2025, the city was managing approximately 66,000 people living with HIV. Each year, nearly 5,000 new infections are detected, with MSM accounting for more than 50 percent.
Alarmingly, HIV/AIDS is now strongly affecting young people of working age, posing a threat to the nation’s future and sustainable development. The cause lies in the lack of awareness among many young people about protecting sexual health. Risky sexual behaviors are increasing, such as having multiple partners and low condom use. The widespread use of dating apps has also contributed to the rise of casual, unsafe sexual encounters.
This morning in Ho Chi Minh City, the National Committee for AIDS, Drug, and Prostitution Prevention and Control, in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the Ministry of Health, held a national rally to mark 35 years of Vietnam’s response to HIV/AIDS and to commemorate World AIDS Day 2025.
The event aimed to highlight the significance and importance of the fight against HIV/AIDS, reflect on 35 years of progress, and contribute to preventing and reversing the epidemic, thereby successfully implementing the “National Strategy to End the AIDS Epidemic by 2030.”
Treatment is expanded to prevent new infections
Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan stated that from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, recognizing the rapid spread and severe consequences of HIV/AIDS, Vietnam identified the epidemic as an urgent public health and social issue. The country implemented decisive measures, shifting from a strategy of “isolation and control” to one of “proactive intervention and harm reduction.”
Activities such as providing condoms, clean syringes, voluntary counseling and testing, and methadone treatment for Opioid dependence have contributed to controlling and mitigating the impact of the epidemic. In 2000, Vietnam introduced antiretroviral (ARV) therapy for the first time, enabling viral suppression below detectable levels and immune system recovery, offering new hope to patients.
As of December 2024, 184,214 people were receiving ARV treatment, with more than 90 percent covered by health insurance marking an important step toward treatment sustainability.
At the same time, HIV testing systems have been significantly expanded, with an average of more than 2 million tests conducted annually, facilitating early detection, timely treatment, and reduced transmission risk.
Dr. Huynh Minh Chin, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health, reported that the health sector has proactively implemented pioneering models such as early ARV treatment, PrEP (pre exposure prophylaxis), methadone therapy, community-based testing, and comprehensive treatment expansion. These measures have gradually curbed transmission rates, sharply reduced mortality, and broadened access to services for the population.
Compared with the national strategy to end AIDS by 2030 which sets the “95-95-95” targets (95 percent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed receive ARV treatment, and 95 percent of those on treatment achieve viral suppression), Ho Chi Minh City has reached 94-92-99.
To achieve the 2030 goal of ending the AIDS epidemic, the city’s health sector is intensifying communication and health education, particularly for adolescents and young adults who are heavily influenced by modern lifestyles. Efforts include expanding early detection through self-testing and community testing, reaching high-risk groups, and strengthening early interventions to effectively block transmission chains.
Prevention is being prioritized among groups most affected by the epidemic, especially men who have sex with men and people who use drugs, with PrEP services being expanded across all areas of the city. In addition, continued cooperation with international organizations is helping sustain effective interventions, particularly in disadvantaged areas and among vulnerable populations.
