Socialist Republic of Vietnam

HA NOI — Viet Nam will make every effort to control the spread of HIV/AIDS and fight discrimination against people having this fatal disease, said President Tran Duc Luong on Wednesday.

He was speaking after visiting HIV/AIDS patients at Bach Mai Hospital in Ha Noi.

Controlling HIV/AIDS was a critical task facing the people and the country, and it required the efforts of each individual and the community as a whole.

Acknowledging the importance of international aid in preventing AIDS in the country, the President said the Party and the State will ask for more assistance from developed countries and other organisations to deal with the problem.

The disease, other than proving fatal, is having a negative impact on the national socio-economic development, he said.

The President was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Presidential Office Director Nguyen Van Chien and Minister of Health Tran Thi Trung Chien.

According to the Ministry of Health, HIV/AIDS cases have increased steadily in the country in recent years, despite continuous efforts by the Government to curb the disease.

While HIV/AIDS carriers were confined to large cities a decade ago, it has now spread all over the country.

A total of 81,206 people in Viet Nam have been diagnosed as HIV positive, of whom 12,684 have AIDS, and 7,208 have died from the disease, according to the latest statistics provided by the National HIV/AIDS Prevention Committee.

According to Government officials, the country is planning to lower the rate of HIV-infected people to under 0.3 per cent by 2010.

Raising the awareness of the community and education have been the major focus of HIV/AIDS prevention activities, Health Minister Chien said. — VNS