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Officials estimate that 45 new cases of HIV/AIDS are reported in Vietnam every day. No longer a disease confined to big cities and border towns, cases are being reported in every province, town and village, yet awareness of the disease in the countryside is poor with many authorities scared to even mention it. Bich Ngoc visits the northern province of Hai Duong to find out what is being done to educate those at risk and prevent the disease from spreading.

Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Central Party Committee member and Party chief of Hai Duong province, is one of the region’s most prominent campaigners against the spread of HIV/AIDS.
“HIV/AIDS is a high priority for the authorities in this area. As a key economy of the north, we are facing an increase in the number of HIV/AIDS cases,” Ngan said.
Ngan said the rate of HIV infections in Hai Duong, 50km east of Hanoi, was rising, due largely to an increase in drug use among residents.
Last year, 207 people living in Hai Duong died of HIV/AIDS. There are 1,727 HIV positive people living in the province and 569 Hai Duong residents have developed AIDS.
Nationwide, while the officially reported infection rate may appear low at 0.28 per cent growth each year, HIV/AIDS is spreading rapidly with reported infections so far this year heading towards a 25 per cent growth rate, according to a UN report.
“The evaluation and pattern of HIV/AIDS in Vietnam points to a potentially explosive challenge ahead that could also threaten socio-economic sustainability,” the report said.
All 64 provinces and cities in Vietnam are now reporting cases of HIV/AIDS, when only a few years ago, infections were largely confined to the major urban areas and a small number of border and tourist areas.
Moreover, since 1999 more than 40 per cent of new infections have been reported in the 15-24 age group, well up from just over 10 per cent in 1994.
Health officials say about 45 new cases are discovered each day, however Professor Pham Manh Hung, deputy chairman of the Party’s Central Committee on Science and Education, estimates the real rate is almost triple the official figure.
Hung said the rate of HIV/AIDS in pregnant women is rising. Previously considered a low-risk group, 0.4 per cent of pregnant women are now infected.
“This percentage is nearly 1 per cent for pregnant women who come to the Vietnam-Sweden hospital in Uong Bi in Quang Ninh, the province next to Hai Duong.”
A project to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to manage and coordinate the fight against the disease is being implemented in the province by the Ministry of Health with support from UNDP and the Australian Government.
Hai Duong is in the middle of the Hanoi - Haiphong- Quang Ninh triangle, an area with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS in the country.
“Young people have the highest rates of HIV infection with 63 per cent of HIV/AIDS sufferers aged between 20 to 29 years – most are young men,” Ngan said.
“Although Hai Duong does not have the highest rates in the country, this epidemic is one of the hottest issues in the province,” Ngan said.
Ngan said changing the attitudes of local authorities, as well as the techniques used to fight the spread of the disease, were the two things she was focusing on.
Professor Hung said that although many cities and provinces of Vietnam had been implementing activities to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS among their staff, they were not strong enough to fight the spread of the disease.
“Many local parties and authorities are not aware of how serious the situation is and so they are not doing enough to promote awareness or spending enough money on the problem.”
He said some provincial authorities were scared of mentioning HIV/AIDS because of the impact it might have on tourism to the area.
“This is very dangerous because local authorities must be aware of the epidemic first and then they must inform the people in their province,” he said.
Hung said many local authorities considered HIV/AIDS a social evil.
“That is simply incorrect. The important thing is to fight against social evils related to HIV/AIDS like drug addiction and prostitutes.”
The strategy is the first nationwide plan to fight the disease since the first case of HIV was found in Vietnam in 1990. It was approved by the prime minister in 2004.
“The strategy is a significant advance in the battle against HIV/AIDS in Vietnam,” said UNDP resident representative Jordan Ryan.
Ryan said strong leadership was the best way to beat HIV/AIDS.
“It is encouraging to see Hai Duong’s leaders setting an example for their colleagues in 63 other provinces and cities by fully embracing the HIV/AIDS challenge. Leaders need to speak out to strengthen prevention and care efforts and to ensure that those infected are a part of this response.”
Drafted with the support of UNDP and other donors, the new strategy recognises that HIV/AIDS has a serious impact on the development of the economy, culture, order and the strategy of the nation.
It calls for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS to be considered a “central, urgent and long-term task that requires multi-sectorial responses and the mobilisation of the whole society”.
Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu, chairwoman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Social Issues, stressed the role of the Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels in HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and in the allocation of resources.