This information was shared by Dr. Nguyen Luong Tam, Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention ( Ministry of Health ), with the press at a meeting to provide information on the National Action Month for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control 2025 and World AIDS Day (December 1st), organized by the Ministry of Health on November 25th.
According to Dr. Nguyen Luong Tam, since the first HIV infection in Vietnam in 1990, the country has spent 35 years responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This journey has encompassed countless persistent efforts, anxieties, sacrifices, and very proud achievements. From the early days of facing the epidemic, Vietnam has now built a solid, humane, and effective HIV/AIDS prevention and control program, recognized by the international community.
Dr. Nguyen Luong Tam, Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention, shared information with the press.
According to Dr. Nguyen Luong Tam, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Vietnam remains complex. Specifically, in 2024, over 68% of new HIV infections were detected in the Mekong Delta, Southeast region, and Ho Chi Minh City. Sexual transmission continued to account for over 80% of new cases, reflecting a shift in transmission routes.
The 15-29 age group accounts for a large proportion of new infections, and over 80% of newly detected HIV infections are male. Notably, the rate of HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people is increasing significantly.
"Furthermore, the trend of infection in non-key provinces is also starting to increase, accompanied by complex risk behaviors such as the use of synthetic drugs, 'chemsex,' and group sex," the Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention expressed concern.
According to Mr. Tam, in this context, Vietnam has made efforts to implement HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities and has achieved many positive results such as: conducting more than 2 million HIV tests, managing ARV treatment for more than 176,000 patients, and maintaining effective Methadone treatment for more than 46,500 people.
Initiatives such as multi-day methadone dispensing and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have been expanded, ensuring access to diverse at-risk groups. Digital transformation in epidemic management has yielded positive results with the nationwide deployment of the HIV-INFO and HMED systems.
However, according to the Deputy Director of the Department of Disease Prevention, Vietnam still faces many major challenges, especially stigma, discrimination, and difficulties in accessing high-risk groups.
Dr. Doan Thi Thuy Linh shared information about the HIV/AIDS situation in Vietnam.
Sharing further information, MSc. Dr. Nguyen Thi Mai, Deputy Head of the HIV/AIDS and Substance Addiction Treatment Department, Department of Disease Prevention, said that in recent years, the high-risk population for HIV infection has increased among MSM. It is estimated that in 2024, there will be approximately 428,450 MSM nationwide, accounting for 1-2% of the male population aged 15-49 (of which 295,000 MSM are at high risk).
Drug use during sexual activity is also on the rise, particularly with low condom use rates among this group. MSM who use drugs are eight times more likely to contract HIV than those who do not. The rate of sexually transmitted infections is also high among MSM. These are significant challenges in HIV prevention efforts.
To reduce the risk of HIV infection in the future, Dr. Doan Thi Thuy Linh, Deputy Head of the Department of HIV and Chronic Infectious Disease Control, Department of Disease Prevention, said that early testing is needed to detect new infections, ARV treatment is required; and communication on the use of PrEP and other HIV infection prevention measures should be strengthened.
According to Dr. Linh, in 2024, the whole country conducted more than 3.4 million tests, of which 13,351 cases tested positive for HIV.
According to the survey, nearly 92% of people infected with HIV know their status, and 72% are receiving ARV treatment. Approximately 70% of those receiving ARV treatment have had their viral load tested.
For high-risk groups, especially the MSM community, the campaign to promote pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been intensified.
Strengthen HIV prevention and awareness campaigns for young people.
However, according to Dr. Nguyen Thi Mai, the difficulty lies in the fact that many high-risk individuals are unaware of PrEP medication and have misconceptions about PrEP treatment. Stigma in the community is a barrier that limits their access to PrEP. Currently, patients have to pay for services including examinations, HIV testing, and screening for hepatitis B and C themselves, leading to difficulties for some high-risk groups.
"PEPFAR has been the largest donor to Vietnam's HIV/AIDS prevention and control program since 2004, and PrEP treatment is entirely dependent on free support from the Global Fund and PEPFAR. However, at the beginning of 2025, PEPFAR completely cut off funding, which has affected those receiving treatment. Currently, 137,939 clients are using PrEP, but by June of this year, that number had decreased by more than 5,000. It is predicted that this number will continue to decrease further as PEPFAR's support completely ended in September. Meanwhile, health insurance does not cover this pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment," Dr. Mai stated.
This year, the Ministry of Health has chosen the theme for the National Action Month for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control as "Unity is Strength – Working Together to End the AIDS Epidemic." According to Dr. Nguyen Luong Tam, this is not just a slogan, but also a profound reminder of the core values that have contributed to all achievements over the past 35 years: the strength of unity, of the spirit of solidarity, shared responsibility, and close cooperation among individuals, communities, and society as a whole.
Ending the AIDS pandemic by 2030 requires the concerted efforts of the entire political system, society, and community.
Source: https://cand.com.vn/Xa-hoi/hiv-gia-tang-o-nhieu-tinh-thanh-phia-nam-i789172/
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