National Action Month on HIV/AIDs Prevention and Control 2023 to be launched
The National Action Month for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control 2023 will be held from November 10 to December 10 with a wide range of activities, aiming to mobilise the involvement of leaders, policy makers, service providers and the community in HIV/AIDS prevention and control as well as increase support for people living with HIV, an official has said.
Vo Hai Son, deputy head of Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control, speaks at the event (Photo:tiengchuong.chinhphu.vn)
Hanoi (VNA)𝔍 – The National Action Month for HIV/AIDSPrevention and Control 2023 will be held from November 10 to December 10 witha wide range of activities, aiming to mobilise the involvement of leaders, policymakers, service providers and the community in HIV/AIDS prevention and controlas well as increase support for people living with HIV, an official has said.
Speaking at a press conference held in Hanoi on November 9 on the occasion of World AIDS Day (December 1) andNational Action Month for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control 2023, Vo Hai Son, deputy head of VietnamAdministration of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) under the Ministry of Health, said seminars,running events, music galas and drawing contests will be organised during the month to raisepeople’s awareness on the disease. Eric Dziuban, Vietnam Country Director of US Centre forDisease Control and Prevention said Vietnam is one of the leading countries in termsof public health response. Vietnam's lessons have been learned and implementedby other countries. According to Bui Hoang Duc from VAAC, 10,219 new HIVinfections were detected in Vietnam in the first nine months of this year and1,126 people had died. There are nearly 250,000 people living with HIV across thecountry. Infections are concentrated in southern provinces, with 60% ofnew HIV cases detected in the Mekong Delta, the Southeast, and Ho Chi MinhCity. The rate of HIV infections in the 16-29 age group has been increasing since 2022,accounting for 50% of the total number of newly detected infections, he said, adding thatthe infection rate is also rising in the group of men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people. In the first nine months of 2023, 177,009 HIV carriersreceived antiretroviral (ARV) therapy, meeting 80% of the designed target and thenumber of people receiving pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment surpassed the target, Duc said./.
About 33% of new HIV infections in Vietnam occurred among key young populations, higher than the global average of 27% and the Asia Pacific average of 26%, according to the latest data from UNAIDS 2023 HIV Estimates.
Over the past years, Vietnam has carried out comprehensive interventions along with diverse and suitable HIV preventive measures for intravenous drug users.
The Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC), in collaboration with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Vietnam, held a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on August 28 to provide guidance on HIV/AIDS prevention and control for workers.
Since 2019, members of the Community Advisory Board (CAB) groups in Vietnam have harvested various achievements, including helping to promote access to healthcare services in HIV/AIDS prevention and control.
Vietnam now boasts a nationwide healthcare network with 1,665 hospitals, 384 of which are non-public, supported by local commune- and ward-level stations. At the end of 2024, hospital bed capacity reached 34 per 10,000 people, slightly above the global average.
The 56-year-old patient from Quang Tri province was discharged in stable condition as he no longer experienced shortness of breath and was able to walk, move around, and eat normally.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Vu Trung, Director of the Pasteur Institute, said that under the MoU, the two sides committed to promoting diverse and practical collaborative activities, including joint conferences and workshops, exchanges of scholars, researchers and students, sharing academic materials, and the development of specific programmes and projects in scientific research, training, and epidemic prevention.
TytoCare, a leading Israeli telemedicine company based in Netanya, is willing to work with Vietnamese regulators, insurers, and healthcare providers to develop a sustainable digital health ecosystem.
The partnership is under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding on the development and implementation of the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control, signed in Hanoi on July 22.
An estimated 7 million Vietnamese are currently living with diabetes, but about 50% remain undiagnosed, a dangerous gap that is fuelling serious, preventable complications and increasing the burden on the healthcare system.
In 2024, Vietnam achieved 99% coverage for the first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine, up from 80% in 2023. Immunisation coverage in the country has not only rebounded to the high levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic but has now surpassed the rates recorded in 2019.
Health authorities in HCM City have issued an urgent alert after six people died from dengue fever, amid a spike in infections driven by the onset of the rainy season.
During the peak months of July and August 2025, the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) needs at least 90,000 units of blood to supply 180 hospitals in the northern region. However, despite continuous efforts, the reserve blood is still short of 30,000 units.
The Hanoi ceremony highlighted efforts to ensure all citizens, especially women and youth, can access accurate information and healthcare services to make informed reproductive choices.
After such a long time, the law has revealed many limitations, prompting the Ministry of Health (MoH) to gather opinions to amend the law to give more chances to thousands of patients every year.
Currently, cardiovascular specialists from the 108 Military Central Hospital are working alongside a team of Prof.Dr. Jan D. Schmitto, Deputy Director of MHH’s Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery on clinical trials for MCS devices, implanted in heart failure patients either as a bridge to transplantation or as permanent treatment.
The centre not only serves residents living on the island, but also receives tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to Assoc Prof Dr Tang Chi Thuong, Director of the HCM CIty Department of Health.
Not only does Vietnam attract international tourists with its landscapes, culture, and cuisine, but it is also gradually becoming a reliable destination for medical treatment, offering high-quality services at reasonable costs.
Over the past six months, 150 communal health stations in provinces including Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tay Ninh, Hau Giang, Ben Tre and Ca Mau have been equipped with information technology systems. In addition, 117 key provincial healthcare workers have received training, with thousands more expected to follow.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Ministry of Health swiftly launched a telemedicine programme, connecting more than 1,000 medical establishments nationwide. The model, which remains in operation, has benefited tens of thousands of patients, including foreign nationals.
After more than three weeks of intensive treatment, the patient's pneumonia improved, breathing stabilised, sedation was reduced, and the breathing tube was removed. He is now conscious, able to eat orally, and in recovery.
Vo Hai Son, deputy head of Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control, speaks at the event (Photo:tiengchuong.chinhphu.vn) 
