Patients receive Methadone treatment in Bac Ninh province. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Nearly 53,000
drug users in Vietnam has received Methadone treatment to cure their addiction since
the treatment was first piloted in Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong in April
2008.
Director of the Department of HIV/AIDS
Prevention and Control under the Health Ministry Nguyen Hoang Long said
Methadone has become available in all 63 provinces and cities nationwide, with legal
and technical regulations for the treatment completed.
Research projects conducted by
the Health Ministry and localities all showed that has
reduced remarkably the use of drugs among patients. After 24 months, only 15.8
percent of patients under Methadone still use heroin. The frequency of use also
dropped from 3-5 times a day before treatment to 2-3 times a month after 24
months of treatment.
Besides, the Methadone therapy
also contributed to reducing the through blood. The rate of
HIV infections among decreased from 30 percent in 2001-2002 to 9.5
percent in 2016.
The number of new HIV infections
each year went down to 10,000 in 2015, from the 30,000 recorded in 2006 and
2007.
The provision of Methadone
treatment will be expanded in the time ahead, focusing on localities with many
drug users and HIV/AIDS patients, while the quality of services will be
improved and information technology will be used to manage patients in
treatment, the Health Ministry said./.
Source: VietnamPlus
