Da Nang (VNA) – The centra💧l city of Da Nang has maintained HIV/AIDS infections in the community under 0.15 percent, heard a cerꦅemony on December 1.

The event was held in response to the National Action Month for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, which runs from November 10 to December 10 annually, and the World AIDS Day (December 1). Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health Nguyen Ut attributed the achievement to local authorities’ ramping up of inter-sectoral coordination, assistance to and treatment of HIV carriers, and expansion of cooperation with foreign partners in HIV/AIDS prevention. Da Nang has found 120 new HIV cases a year, about 50 – 70 of which are local residents. By the end of October 2015, the city recorded 1,885 HIV cases, including 824 AIDS patients. The official also admitted that more than 70 percent of the infected people age between 20 and 39 years whose infections have been diagnosed late. Meanwhile, sexual transmission is the cause of over 90 percent of the newly found cases, leading to an increase in the number of HIV-infected women and the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, he added. Ut said Da Nang will step up communication activities to change people’s behaviors and fight their discrimination against HIV patients. The city will do more to raise the infected people’s awareness of early HIV testing and counselling, antiretroviral therapy, and health insurance. Quality services will also be provided to ensure the community’s access to related preventive measures, treatment and supports. Following the ceremony, about 1,000 participants, including young people, officials, medical workers and residents, joined a parade through the city’s main streets to popularise HIV/AIDS prevention and control messages. The United Nations’ 90-90-90 Plan aims at: 90 percent of people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90 percent of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90 percent of all people receiving the therapy will have viral suppression by 2020. Vietnam is stepping up efforts towards the 90-90-90 target to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030.-VNA