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At the meeting (Photo: VNA) |
He made the pledge at the two-day 49th Global Fund Board Meeting which opened in Hanoi on May 10.
He appreciated the cooperation between the Vietnamese Government and socio-political organisations in helping many people recover from these diseases. Vietnamese Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that since 2003, the Fund has provided assistance valued at over US$650 million for activities to fight AIDS, TB and malaria in Vietnam. It announced in late 2022 that it will fund over $130 million for these kinds of activities and health system improvement in Vietnam for the 2024-2026 period.
In the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, after more than 30 years since the first HIV case was detected in Vietnam in 1990, this is the 15th consecutive year that the epidemic has been kept in check in the country.
Over the past 20 years, with contributions of the Global Fund, the HIV/AIDS prevention and control program has helped nearly 1 million people be prevented from the virus, and saved nearly 200,000 others from dying from AIDS, said Lan. In the past two decades, Vietnam has saved the lives of about 1 million people with TB. Some 100 percent of the population has gained access to the TB prevention and control program.
Meanwhile, in 1991, the whole country recorded more than 1 million cases of malaria, nearly 5,000 deaths and nearly 150 outbreaks. However, in 2022, there were only more than 400 infections, (a decrease of over 90 percent), and no fatalities. In Vietnam, 42 out of 63 provinces and cities have eliminated malaria. The minister said that the country has set a goal to basically end AIDS and tuberculosis and eliminate malaria by 2030.
However, each year, Vietnam still records more than 10,000 cases of HIV infection and about 2,000 AIDS-related deaths. There are still about 30,000 people living with HIV in the community without knowing their status. In addition, the country still faces a heavy burden on society and healthcare for more than 220,000 people living with the virus.
In the Global Tuberculosis Report 2022, Vietnam ranked 11th out of 30 countries with the highest burden in the world. Currently, each year, about 40 percent of new TB patients are still undetected in the community, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, to eliminate malaria, there are still many challenges due to the situation of drug-resistant malaria, imported malaria, and the risk of reoccurrence. Therefore, the health minister called on the Global Fund, countries, organizations and individuals to continue providing support for Vietnam, and share experiences to help the country reach the set target. Also at the meeting, on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Minister Dao Hong Lan presented the Certificate of Merit and the "For people's health" insignia to the Global Fund Board.
On this occasion, delegates lit candles to commemorate those who died of AIDS, TB and malaria; and attended a photo exhibition on TB eradication.
