The HIV/AIDS epidemic is evolving in a complex manner, with the mode of transmission shifting from blood among drug injection users to sexual transmission.
This information was shared by Mrs. Phan Thi Thu Huong, Director of the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control under the Ministry of Health, during a press conference on World AIDS Day on the afternoon of November 18. In Vietnam, since the first case was detected in 1990 in Ho Chi Minh City, it is estimated that around 267,000 people are currently living with HIV. To date, 100% of provinces and cities have reported cases of infection.
In the first nine months of this year, the country recorded 11,421 new HIV-positive cases and 1,263 deaths. Among the newly diagnosed individuals, 83% are men, primarily aged 15-29 (40%) and 30-39 (27%). The group with the highest prevalence is men who have sex with men (MSM), accounting for 42%.
The rapid increase in HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM).
The mode of HIV transmission has changed significantly from 2010 to the present. Among newly detected HIV cases, the proportion of infections through blood has decreased from 47% in 2010 to just 6.5%, while the proportion of sexual transmission has become the primary mode of transmission, rising from 47% to 70% this year.
The prevalence of HIV among male drug injectors is approximately 12%, and among sex workers, it is below 5%, with these rates stabilizing over the years. However, the prevalence of HIV among MSM has rapidly increased from 7.4% in 2016 to 12.5% in 2022. MSM is predicted to be the main risk group for the HIV epidemic in Vietnam.
Geographically, newly detected HIV cases are primarily found in the southern region and major cities. Notably, the Southeast region and the Mekong Delta account for nearly 70% of new infections detected in the first nine months of this year. Despite this, epidemiological data indicate that the northern mountainous and Central Highlands regions pose potential risks for increasing transmission.
Mrs. Huong assessed that the ongoing complexity of the epidemic is mainly due to the stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, which still exists, and the community’s low level of understanding regarding HIV/AIDS. This presents a barrier to accessing prevention services for people living with HIV and high-risk target groups.
Vietnam aims to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Ending the AIDS epidemic does not mean there will be no new infections or deaths from AIDS, but rather ensuring that AIDS is no longer a serious public health issue, with criteria such as fewer than 1,000 new HIV cases per year and a mother-to-child transmission rate of less than 2%.
The Ministry of Health recommends that individuals who are not infected with HIV and belong to high-risk groups such as men who have sex with men, transgender women, sex workers, and drug injectors should use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) by taking one pill daily to prevent infection.
Individuals living with HIV who receive early treatment with ARV medication and adhere to their treatment typically achieve a viral load below the detection threshold (200 copies/ml of blood) within six months. At this point, they will not transmit HIV to their sexual partners, thereby reducing mother-to-child transmission. As a result, many people living with HIV can still marry and have healthy children.
