VietNamNet Bridge – The national strategy for children infected by HIV/AIDS or whose relatives live with the virus and/or disease until 2010 with a vision to 2020 needs VND97 billion (US$5 million), a workshop was told yesterday, June 24.

The Government will provide 8 per cent of this amount, which is needed for administering implementation of the strategy, and the rest will be raised from donors and other sources.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs is responsible for planning and co-ordinating the implementation of the strategy.

Phan Thanh Minh, head of the HCM City’s Child Care and Protection Office, said Viet Nam would try to ensure that the health care, education and social welfare demands of 90 per cent of children affected by HIV/AIDS are met by 2020.

The strategy also envisages that all units specialised in treating children affected by HIV/AIDS and 70 per cent of staff in schools will have high awareness of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention.

Guidance

All offices in the cities and districts will be provided with guidance on managing children affected by HIV/AIDS and at least one voluntary support group of people living with HIV/AIDS will be set up in all cities and districts.

All provinces and cities nationwide will organise public awareness programmes on HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention.

The ministry will set up a network of small-sized community-based units in order to provide due care and ensure children affected by HIV/AIDS can live with their families.

It will also regularly update and report the number of children affected by HIV/AIDS so that they receive timely care and other services.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) will be responsible for providing free health care to these children, organising training courses for health staff and supporting technological applications relating to their care and treatment.

The Ministry of Education and Training will ensure that the children with HIV/AIDS receive proper education, and that all teachers are well aware of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention.

All relevant agencies will co-operate with each other in fighting discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS, especially children.

According to United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), around 33 million people were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide as of 2007. On average, 6,800 new cases of HIV/AIDS infections are found and more than 5,700 people die of AIDS every day.

In Viet Nam last year, 20,260 people were diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, a fall of 26.6 per cent against 2007, according to the Viet Nam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

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