35 years of Vietnam's response to HIV/AIDS: From 'death sentence' to meaningful life

1990 - The beginning of "death sentences" and fear

In December 1990, the first case of HIV infection was discovered in Ho Chi Minh City. It was not just a medical news, but an alarm bell, the beginning of a "death sentence" called AIDS - spreading fear, despair and pushing patients into isolation and social stigma.

35 years have passed (1990-2025), HIV/AIDS has spread nationwide. By the end of 2024, Vietnam recorded 245,762 people living with HIV and 116,004 deaths. These numbers are proof of heavy losses. Worryingly, HIV/AIDS is currently strongly attacking young people of working age, threatening the future of the nation and the sustainable development of the country.

Yet Vietnam has not backed down. The 35-year journey has been an extraordinary one, from initial fear and isolation to building a comprehensive response system that has transformed HIV from a “death sentence” into a manageable chronic disease.

Transitional Phase - Proactive Intervention and Harm Reduction

From the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, fully aware of the rapid spread and serious consequences, Vietnam identified this as an urgent medical and social issue. The national strategy in HIV/AIDS prevention and control had a clear humanistic and scientific shift, from "isolation and control" to "proactive intervention and harm reduction".

Measures based on scientific evidence have been implemented such as providing condoms, clean needles, voluntary testing and counseling, and treating opioid addiction with Methadone. The synchronous participation of all levels, sectors and organizations has created a solid legal corridor, helping HIV/AIDS prevention and control achieve many encouraging results, contributing to controlling and minimizing the impact of the epidemic.

The ARV Era - Regaining the Right to Live and Love

A major turning point occurred when antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) were introduced to Vietnam in 2000. ARVs are not a cure for HIV, but a gateway to recovery, helping to suppress the virus below the detection threshold, restore the immune system and bring hope for a meaningful life to patients.

As of December 2024, Vietnam had 184,214 people receiving ARV treatment, of which more than 90% used drugs from Health Insurance, marking an important step forward in treatment sustainability. At the same time, the HIV testing system has been strongly expanded, with an average of more than 2 million test samples per year, helping with early detection, early treatment and reducing the risk of transmission.

In particular, Vietnam has achieved the third goal of the 95-95-95 strategy, which is 96% of people on ARV treatment have a viral load below the suppression threshold. This has profound human significance, when the viral load is undetectable, HIV can no longer be transmitted sexually (U=U) and people with HIV have the right to love, start a family and build a meaningful life like everyone else.

The PrEP Era - Proactive Shield and Pioneering

If ARVs are the solution to save the lives of infected people, then PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is the "shield" that actively protects uninfected people. When used correctly, PrEP reduces the risk of sexually transmitting HIV by about 99%.

Vietnam is a pioneer in the Asia- Pacific region in implementing PrEP. To date, more than 70,000 people with high-risk behaviors have had access to this preventive measure. In 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized Vietnam as the leading country in the region in providing PrEP services. This is an affirmation of the country's proactiveness and progress in its HIV prevention strategy.

Destination 2030 - Unity is strength

The 35-year journey has proven that science can defeat the "death sentence", but more importantly, people need to defeat stigma. However, to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, we still need to make efforts to fill the gap when only 87.3% of infected people know their status and 78.9% of them are on ARV treatment.

Solidarity at this time is not only a scientific driving force but also a humanitarian responsibility. Responding to World AIDS Day 2025, with the theme "Unity is strength - Joining hands to end AIDS", Vietnam calls for strong participation from the whole society, focusing on four key tasks:

- Promote early detection and ARV treatment for people infected with HIV.

- Expand and diversify preventive measures: condoms, needles and syringes, Methadone, PrEP and prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

- Strengthen communication to change behavior, targeting high-risk groups.

- Eliminate HIV-related stigma and discrimination in health facilities and in the community.

Ending the AIDS epidemic is the responsibility of the whole society, not just the health sector. With consensus, determination and concrete actions, Vietnam can absolutely achieve the goal of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030, closing the 35-year journey from fear to hope, from a "death sentence" to a meaningful life.

suckhoe.vtv.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/35-nam-viet-nam-ung-pho-voi-hivaids-tu-an-tu-den-cuoc-song-co-y-nghia-post887935.html