HIV/AIDS in Vietnam

Vietnam faces a concentrated HIV epidemic. HIV prevalence data in Vietnam is based primarily on HIV/AIDS case reporting and on the HIV Sentinel Surveillance conducted annually in 40 of Vietnam’s 64 provinces. The government now reports HIV cases in all provinces, 93 percent of all districts, and 49 percent of all communes, although many high prevalence provinces report cases in 100 percent of communes. Even though Vietnam has implemented HIV/AIDS case reporting, the general lack of HIV testing thus far suggests that the actual number of PLWHA is much higher. HIV prevalence in the general population is estimated to be approximately 0.5 percent, and because of the overlapping risks of injecting drug use and unprotected sex, this number is increasing. HIV prevalence among drug users was estimated to be 32 percent in 2003 and another study in 2005 estimated prevalence rates of 1.6 percent among all people in prostitution, compared to 33 percent in people in prostitution who also use injecting drugs. [http://www.pepfar.gov/pepfar/press/81650.htm "2008 Country Profile: Vietnam"] . U.S. Department of State (2008). Accessed September 7, 2008. PD-notice]

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