The whole society needs to work together.

This activity is part of the National Action Month for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control (from November 10th to December 10th, 2024), organized by the Ministry of Health with a central and provincial/city-level connection point. The Quang Nam connection point includes the participation of members of the Provincial Steering Committee for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control.

View of the Quang Nam bridgehead. Photo: TT

Speaking at the rally, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long, Chairman of the National Committee for AIDS, Drug, and Prostitution Prevention and Control, emphasized that the message for this year's World AIDS Day is "Together, Share, and Resilient." This is a call for every citizen, every organization, and every community in every country to join hands, share responsibility, and demonstrate resilience in protecting their own health and the health of their community.

To achieve the goal of ending the AIDS epidemic in Vietnam before 2030, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long proposed that ministries, central and local agencies, and socio- political organizations should identify HIV/AIDS prevention and control as a component of their socio-economic development plans; continue to effectively implement the Party and State's guidelines and policies; increase investment and budget allocation to ensure financial resources for HIV/AIDS prevention and control; and continue to innovate and improve the quality of information dissemination, education, especially in combating stigma and discrimination related to HIV/AIDS.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long delivered a speech at the ceremony. Photo: TT

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the health sector to effectively mobilize all resources, promote the application of science and technology and the achievements of the 4.0 industrial revolution; implement professional solutions and create favorable conditions for people to access HIV/AIDS prevention and control services; mobilize the participation of private healthcare in disease treatment, improve professional capacity and skills, and have appropriate incentive policies for the team working in HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

People living with HIV need a positive outlook and a new mindset about living with HIV, promoting their rights and healthcare for themselves and others in similar situations, working towards a society without discrimination and a future free from HIV/AIDS...

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan speaks at the ceremony. Photo: TT

Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan stated that in recent years, the Ministry of Health, along with localities nationwide, has strongly implemented HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities with a comprehensive approach, providing full services from prevention, testing, and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

In 2023, Vietnam led the Asia-Pacific region in the number of people receiving PrEP treatment, helping to control 98% of users and avoid the risk of HIV infection. Vietnam is one of the world's leading countries in the quality of HIV treatment, with over 97% of people living with HIV receiving antiretroviral therapy having undetectable viral loads.

Many models and initiatives for providing HIV/AIDS prevention and control services have been researched, applied, and implemented in accordance with the changing context of the HIV epidemic, thereby maintaining control of the HIV epidemic and gradually moving towards the 95-95-95 target set out in the National Strategy…

Eamonn Murphy, Director of the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) for the Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe and Central Asia regions, urged that now, more than ever, Vietnam needs to mobilize all its resources to strengthen its HIV response in order to achieve its national goals. Highly effective HIV prevention interventions need to be further expanded.

Actions to reduce stigma and discrimination and ensure that all people in need have access to HIV prevention and control services need to be stronger.

According to Eamonn Murphy, to achieve the goal of "Reducing the number of people infected with HIV, the number of deaths related to AIDS, and ending the AIDS epidemic in Vietnam by 2030," Vietnam needs to make efforts in policy development and inter-sectoral coordination in HIV prevention and control.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/phong-chong-hiv-aids-can-ca-xa-hoi-dong-hanh-3145043.html