People and organizations in many localities throughout the country have visited, and presented gifts to HIV patients and organised refresher courses to raise public awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

On November 28, Hoi An City in the southern province of Quang Nam launched meetings and parades in eight locations in response to the 2010 Action Month for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control.

The campaign focused on disseminating information about HIV/AIDS, running courses for reporters and consulting with people in high risk groups to help them obtain HIV tests.

As many as 630 people infected with HIV have been reported so far in Quang Nam, half of which have developed full blown AIDS. In Hoi An alone, 26 cases of infection have been diagnosed and 23 people have died of the disease.

*** The Health Department in HCM City donated gifts to healthcare centres for HIV patients. Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee, Hua Ngoc Thuan and leaders of the municipal Health Department and Ministry visited doctors and staff from the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and presented 120 gifts to HIV patients at the hospital. This is one of the three biggest centres for HIV/AIDS treatment which conducts medical examinations and provides medicine to prevent medical workers from being exposed to HIV transmission through occupational accidents.

The same day, leaders from the municipal Health Department also visited and donated VND7 million to each healthcare centre and presented 550 gifts to HIV patients at hospitals in the city.

*** More than 1,500 cadres, pupils and students from various agencies in Dong Thap province gathered to launch the 2010 Action Month for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control.

The situation of HIV infection in Dong Thap is still complex. By the end of July, the total number of people infected with HIV was 4,700, nearly 1,200 higher than in 2007. Around 40 new cases are diagnosed every month, mostly young people of working age. This has adversely affected the province’s socio-economic development because this young labour force plays an important role in production for society.

*** In Can Tho city, a series of meetings and parades were held in 85 communes and wards with the participation of more than 34,000 police, soldiers, students, pupils and people living with HIV. The organisation board called on the whole community to join hands to prevent the spread of this lethal disease, and underlined the need to raise public awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention and control and help people with HIV live a healthy lifestyle.

Can Tho City has so far confirmed more than 4,000 HIV carriers, nearly 52 percent of whom are 20-29 years old. The city’s healthcare sector is disseminating information about HIV/AIDS prevention in remote areas and providing consultant services in residential areas and hotels. Many other programmes are also being implemented widely in response to the National Action Month and the city hopes to improve local people’s awareness of HIV/AIDS.

*** The Tuyen Quang provincial Management Board for the HIV/AIDS prevention project has worked with the provincial Labour Federation to organise a meeting to mark the National Action Month for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control.

Since the first HIV case was diagnosed in July 1997, there have been 1,460 HIV cases confirmed in the province, 550 of them have died and 181 others are being treated with antiretroviral drugs (ARV). All districts and cities and 92 out of 141 villages have reported cases of HIV with more than half of cases in Tuyen Quang City.

Tuyen Quang has established three clubs for HIV carriers with 50 members, who are working actively to minimize the impacts of HIV on the residential community. The province has also improved care, treatment and prevention services for high-risk groups, included HIV/AIDS information in drug and prostitute prevention programmes, and focused on education to prevent the spread of HIV in the community.

*** In Bac Kan province, a meeting to mark the National Action Month and a youth festival on HIV prevention attracted more than 2,000 young people and citizens in Bac Kan Town.

Bac Kan is one of top ten provinces with the highest number of HIV/AIDS cases. However, the number of patients accessing ARV treatment is low because they feel it is too embarrassed to go to treatment centres.

Since the first case in 1997, the number of HIV cases in the province has increased to 1,819, including 668 AIDS patients and 447 AIDS-related deaths. The disease has appeared in all 8 districts and towns and in 103 out of 112 villages.

*** Nam Dinh province has organised a wide range of activities under “Accession, Dissemination and Human Rights” to mark the month. They include seminars to share experiences and introduce efficient HIV prevention models in Xuan Truong and Giao Thuy districts which have large number of HIV cases, and expand the model of “All citizens getting involved in preventing HIV in residential areas”. The province is also promoting HIV treatment centres, offering HIV prevention equipment and services and encouraging people to support and care for HIV carriers.