Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam must step up efforts toensure 90 percent of HIV-infected people will receive sustained antiretroviral(ARV) therapy by 2020, in line with the international UN target, Deputy PrimeMinister Vu Duc Dam said at a meeting of National Committee for AIDS, Prostitution and Drug Prevention onDecember 8.

Currently, about 50 percent of Vietnam’s HIV-infected peopleare being treated with ARV. The Health Ministry, Financial Ministry and VietnamSocial Security must work together to ensure enough ARV drugs are available.State and local budgets must be generous enough to cover the drug supply, hesaid.

‘The treatments must be more convenient and sensitive to thepatients’ mental and emotional needs,” he said.

According to Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Quy Vuong,6,883 new people tested positive for HIV in the first nine months of this year.As many as 3,484 HIV patients saw their illness progress to AIDS and 1,260patients died.

It is estimated that the number of new cases of peopleliving with HIV will reach 9,800 by the end of 2017, while the number of deathswill climb to some 1, 800.

Vuong said that the number of newly HIV-infected people haddecreased. This year had also been the ninth year in a row to see decreases inthe number of new infections, the number of HIV cases that have turned to AIDSand the number of deaths.

Deputy PM Dam said that the HIV/AIDS work should not beneglected as the number of infections declines.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, there was asurge in the number of drug criminals this year. In the first nine months ofthis year, more than 906 kg of heroin were seized, an increase of 49 percentover the same period last year. More than 856 kg and over 979,000 syntheticdrug tablets were seized, a hike of 129 percent compared to last year.

Dam said that without drastic measures, tackling syntheticdrugs and growing drug addiction would be challenges. The Health Ministry hasset up treatment guidelines. Sectors and localities must promote communicationthrough video clips and programmes to warn people about the risks of syntheticdrugs.

Dam said that local leaders must change attitudes towardsdrug treatment. The purpose of drug rehabilitation efforts, he said, is not to“purify” an area but to ensure addicted people can return to their communitiesand receive appropriate treatment as social order is maintained.

Dam urged localities to sustain the use of methadone intreating drug addiction.

He said that there were 408 locations nationwide whereprostitutes were known to work. He ordered the provinces and cities toimplement projects to reduce the number to 200 by the end of next year.

Officials at the meeting announced a methadone treatmentmanagement system at methadone.vaac.gov.vn, aiming to support patients beingtreated with methadone and link patients with treatment facilities.

Each patient will have an ID and electronic medical recordto manage their treatment. They can take the medicine at any facility withouthaving to bring their records with them. Using this app, they can makeappointments and select treatment locations. The system will show patients thenearest location where they can access the medicine.-VNA