Speaking at the meeting, Doctor Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health informed that by September 2024, Ho Chi Minh City had 52,695 HIV infectious cases under management. Of these, there have been 48,741 people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment. Every district, city, ward, commune, and town has HIV cases. HIV/AIDS remains a significant public health concern, particularly among high-risk groups.
In recent years, Ho Chi Minh City has effectively implemented comprehensive social and medical solutions in HIV/AIDS prevention and control, strengthening and diversifying resources from social and community organizations.
The city has applied numerous effective intervention models recommended by the World Health Organization and has pioneered comprehensive care and treatment models. At the current time, the HIV/AIDS situation is gradually being controlled; the number of new HIV infections, progression to AIDS cases, and deaths related to HIV/AIDS have been continuously decreasing annually.
However, the Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health noted that the HIV/AIDS epidemic was still complicated with increasing infections, particularly among young adolescents and men who have sex with men.
The city’s health sector calls for the participation and support of all levels, sectors, and people in HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities to ensure that everyone, including high-risk groups, can access HIV/AIDS prevention services equally and fairly, added Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health Nguyen Van Vinh Chau.
On the same morning, a convoy from 21 districts and Thu Duc City paraded to raise strong community awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention and control.
