Minister Long made the statement during a teleconference held in order to mark the 30-year response to HIV/AIDS prevention and control, along with World AIDS Day on December 1. The meeting took place with the participation of approximately 3,000 domestic and international delegates from 63 cities and provinces nationwide.

Minister Long emphasised that HIV/AIDS in Vietnam has been gradually bought under control, with the infection rate in the community falling to below 0.26%.

Most notably, the Vietnamese HIV/AIDS prevention and control programme has helped roughly 500,000 people to avoid being infected with HIV, while more than 200,000 individuals have had their lives saved from HIV/AIDS.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh addresses the event

According to a report released by the Ministry of Health, the country is estimated to have approximately 230,000 people currently infected with HIV/AIDS, ranking fourth in Southeast Asia, although new infections among gays has witnessed a significant increase.

Funding sources for HIV prevention and control still largely rely on international aid, accounting for up to 45%, which has been significantly reduced recently.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh went on to explain that over the past 30 years, the country has effectively used international funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities.

With international aid undergoing a recent decrease, the country has become proactive in providing a budget for these activities, with more than 55,000 people out of 150,000 people infected with HIV receiving anti-retroviral (ARV), the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed.

He therefore called on various governments and international organisations to continue providing assistance for the nation both financially and technically to promote HIV/AIDS prevention and control moving forward.