The Ministry of Health called for the community cooperation to eliminate the epidemic HIV/AIDS at a meeting in the northern province of Bac Ninh on November 29.

The meeting was held by the Ministry in coordination with Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in response to the nation action month against HIV/AIDS and the World AIDS Day on the 1st December.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said that the epidemic HIV/ AIDS is still a threat to health and lives of people. It not only affects economic development and social order but also impacts on the nation’s race.

In 2015, there was a decrease in the number of people living with HIV; of AIDS- infected people, and of AIDS-related deaths.

For 25 past years of HIV prevention, the Southeast Asian nation had controlled the surge of HIV-infected people and around 100,000 HIV-infected people had received treatment with antiretroviral drugs.

Vietnam is the first nation in the Pacific Asian region to respond to the United Nation’s treatment targets are known as the 90-90-90 that mean 90 percent of people living with HIV today do not know that they have the virus; 90 percent of people living with HIV will receive antiretroviral therapy and 90 percent of people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.

To reach the UN’s targets, Vietnam needs to focus on all strength, the government’s investment and active participation of the community. The Ministry called for right action to eliminate the epidemic HIV/AIDS.

An estimated 36.9 million people have infected with HIV and nearly 40 million people died from AIDS-related causes so far. Since 1990, Vietnam has had around 230,000 people living with HIV and around 85,000 people have died of AIDS-related disease.