Vinh Phuc steps up efforts to fight HIV/AIDS

Aware that behaviour-changing educational and are
a key solution to fight the disease, the province has tried to diversify the
forms of communication work.

It has mobilised all types of mass communications, from radio and TV to the
networks of public loudspeakers at grassroots level and mobile popularization shows.
Due attention has been paid to make the content simple and relevant to the audiences
of each type of .

The provincial authority has instructed agencies, sectors and mass
organisations to integrate anti- contents in meetings and public events
including sport and cultural gatherings.

The operation of peer groups among drug users, prostitutes and
homosexual people has been maintained to promote awareness about HIV/AIDS,
while management of HIV testing has been strengthened.

In the first six months of this year, voluntary testing and consultation
have been provided to 5,363 people, detecting 44 new HIV positive cases.

Another focus of HIV/AIDS prevention work in Vinh Phuc is to raise the awareness
of women of reproductive age about the risk of HIV contraction and mother-to-child
transmission. The province has intensified early prevention activities while
improving care for children with HIV.

At present, 925 HIV patients in are receiving ARV treatment,
including 27 children, while eight mothers are benefiting from services to
prevent mother-to-child transmission. At the same time, 100 percent of outpatients
under ARV treatment are also provided with tuberculosis preventive treatment.

As of May 31, 2020, Vinh Phuc recorded a total 4,498 HIV carriers, with
2,315 having developed full-blown AIDS and 1,029 having died.

The province will continue to work to raise public awareness about
measures to prevent the transmission of HIV and eradicate discrimination against
HIV carriers./.