Vietnam has been named as one of the four countries with the best HIV/AIDS treatment in the world, alongside Germany, Switzerland, and the UK.

 Deputy Director of the Department of HIV-AIDS Prevention and Control
Hoang Dinh Canh addresses at the press conference.

The information was revealed on November 17 by Hoang Dinh Canh, deputy director of the Department of HIV-AIDS Prevention and Control, during a press conference to mark National Action Month against HIV/AIDS.

At present, Vietnam has a rate of HIV-infected people receiving anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment with a viral load below the inhibitory threshold of over 96%, therefore contributing to reducing the community rate of HIV infection.

Canh stated that currently Vietnam is home to approximately 250,000 HIV patients who are still alive, although only 190,000 are aware of their HIV status.

As of June, the country has provided ARV treatment to 153,000 people, ultimately stopping them from passing away due to AIDS.

Vietnam has been striving to carry out relevant prevention activities over the past 30 years since the first case of HIV was detected in 1990, and has achieved a number of positive results. However, HIV infection remains complicated and the rate is increasing in some high-risk groups, including among men who have sex with men, known as MSM, and drug addicts.

Most notably, each year approximately 10,000 new HIV cases are recorded, along with between 2,000 and 3,000 deaths nationwide. Indeed, the highest number of fatalities was recorded among people under the age of 30.

The National Assembly on November 16 approved a revised law on HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2021, the law will add a number of groups, including those at high-risk who will be prioritised to access information, education, and relevant communication on HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

The new law is set to expand the participation of HIV-infected people and those at high-risk in a number of anti-HIV/AIDS measures. In addition, it will supplement pre-exposure preventive treatment measures in an effort to increase the effectiveness of HIV transmission prevention among those at risk of exposure to the virus.