A National program to combat HIV and AIDS will strive to provide free anti-retroviral (ARV) and other medicines to 70 percent infected persons during the period 2012-2015, according to the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry will run the program for the period 2012-2015, which has been approved by the Prime Minister. Vietnam has successfully reduced the number of new HIV-infected cases and AIDS patients as well as deaths. Many measures have been taken, including anti-retroviral (ARV) and methadone treatment methods.
The target of the program for the period 2012-2015 is to provide better understanding of the disease to at least 60 percent of the population from 15 to 49-years-of-age.
The program will educate people on the ways the disease can be transmitted and how it can be prevented. Any previous misconceptions on HIV and AIDS will be cleared so as to avoid discrimination of children and adults infected from the disease.
The program will endeavor to reduce infection in the general public by 15 percent and in sex workers to below 5 percent and in homosexuals to below 10 percent.
The government has agreed to provide VND3,700 billion (US$178 million) for the program.
