Excellent results in preventing HIV/AIDS, drug addiction in last decade

VGP – Great advancements have been achieved during the past ten years in preventing and eradicating HIV/AIDS, drugs and prostitution, especially since the establishment of the National Committee for this work, noted Deputy PM Trương Vĩnh Trọng.

May 31, 2010 4:38 PM GMT+7

Deputy PM Trương Vĩnh Trọng (center, in black shirt) and members of the National Committee for HIV/AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control talk with HIV-infected children at the Hà Nội Rehabilitation Center No. 2 on the International Children’s Day, June 1, 2009 – Photo: VGP/Nguyễn Hoàng

Mr. Trọng, who is also Chairman of the Committee, highlighted that a number of guidelines and policies have been deployed to raise people’s awareness of the relations between drugs-prostitution and HIV/AIDS as well as to equip them with preventive measures.

A wide range of international good practices against the pandemic have also been implemented.

Consequently, the number of HIV/AIDS-infected patients and drug addicts has fell down by 2,053 cases in 2009, and discrimination against these patients has dramatically eased. The percentage of drug addicts relapsing into evil has gradually decreased.

The Vietnamese Government delegation led by Deputy PM Trương Vĩnh Trọng (2^nd from right) talks with professors of Hong Kong’s Public Medicine University on how to treat drug addicts with Methadone, Hong Kong, December 2008 – Photo: VGP/Nguyễn Hoàng

Currently, Vietnamese drug addicts are being treated with methadone which was first introduced to Hồ Chí Minh City and Hải Phòng in April 2008, and then Hà Nội in December 2009. The total number of drug users being treated with this therapy is 1,700 in these cities.

The methadone therapy has been widely supported by the addicts and their families thanks to clear positive results.

Drug injection and prostitution were the two main reasons leading to the current high proportion of HIV infection while some efforts, including the free distribution of clean injection needles and condoms to addicts and prostitutes, did not receive due attention, said Deputy PM Trọng.

Under the close direction of the Committee, the Ministry of Health is now in charge of preventing HIV/AIDS, the Ministry of Public Security in charge of fighting drug, and the Ministry of Labor-Invalids and Social Affairs combating prostitution.

Mr. Trọng urged the three ministries to further coordinate each other and speed up information dissemination on the social evils in the time to come.

In the next decade, as Mr. Trọng said, the biggest challenge is the low capacity of the country’s healthcare system for HIV patients.

Moreover, drug trafficking activities change quickly and complicatedly.

Now, Việt Nam’s fight against HIV/AIDS largely depends on foreign financial resources.

Regarding to the Committee’s future key mission, the Deputy PM required tougher and strong actions against drug crimes.

Vocational training and financial assistance for post-rehabilitation addicts will be promoted, he said.

Other measures include the improvement of rehabilitation centers throughout the country.

By Hải Minh