At the meeting (Photo: Nhandan) Hanoi (VNA) – The , is
committed to continuing support for Vietnam to put an end to these three diseases, the Fund’s Executive Director Peter Sands said on May 10.
He made the pledge at the two-day 49th Global
Fund Board Meeting which opened in Hanoi on May 10.
He appreciated cooperation between the Vietnamese Government
and socio-political organisations in helping many people recover from these
diseases.
Vietnamese Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan said that since
2003, the Fund has provided assistance valued at over 650 million USD for activities to fight AIDS,
TB and malaria in Vietnam.
It announced in late 2022 that it will fund over 130 million
USD for these kinds of activities and health system improvement in Vietnam for
the 2024-2026 period.
In the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, after more
than 30 years since the first HIV case was detected in Vietnam in 1990, this is
the 15th consecutive year that the epidemic has been kept in check in the
country. Over the past 20 years, with contributions of the Global Fund, the
HIV/AIDS prevention and control programme has helped nearly 1 million people be
prevented from the virus, and saved nearly 200,000 others from dying from AIDS,
said Lan.
In the past two decades, Vietnam has saved the lives of about
1 million people with TB. Some 100% of the population has gained access to the TB
prevention and control programme.
Meanwhile, in 1991, the whole country recorded more than 1
million cases of malaria, nearly 5,000 deaths and nearly 150 outbreaks.
However, in 2022, there were only more than 400 infections, (a decrease of
over 90%), and no fatalities. In Vietnam, 42 out of 63 provinces and cities have
eliminated malaria.
The minister said that the country has set a goal to
basically end AIDS and tuberculosis and eliminate malaria by 2030.
However, each year, Vietnam still records more than 10,000
cases of HIV infection and about 2,000 AIDS-related deaths. There are still
about 30,000 people living with HIV in the community without knowing their
status. In addition, the country still faces a heavy burden on society and
healthcare for more than 220,000 people living with the virus.
In the Global Tuberculosis Report 2022, Vietnam ranked 11th
out of 30 countries with the highest burden in the world. Currently, each year,
about 40% of new TB patients are still undetected in the community, especially
after the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, to eliminate malaria, there are still
many challenges due to the situation of drug-resistant malaria, imported
malaria, and the risk of reoccurrence.
Therefore, the health minister called on the Global Fund,
countries, organisations and individuals to continue providing support for
Vietnam, and share experience to help the country reach the set target.
Also at the meeting, on behalf of the Ministry of Health,
Minister Dao Hong Lan presented the Certificate of Merit and the “For
people’s health” insignia to the Global Fund Board.
On this occasion, delegates lit candles to commemorate those who died of AIDS, TB and malaria; and attended a photo exhibition on TB
eradication./.
Source: VietnamPlus
