A medical worker tests blood samples at the centre for HIV/AIDS prevention and control of Lai Chau province (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Gender inequality contributes tothe spread of HIV and reduces women and girls’ capacity of response to theepidemic, heard a workshop on January 17.
The event on gender assessment of Vietnam’s HIVresponse was held by the Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC)under the Ministry of Health and the UN Entity for General Equality and theEmpowerment of Women (UN Women).
VAAC reported that as of September 2017, therehad been 208,371 alive HIV carriers, 90,493 alive AIDS patients, and over90,000 deaths from HIV/AIDS.
In the first nine months of 2017, Vietnam recorded6,883 HIV-infected persons and 3,484 AIDS patients while 1,260 related deathswere reported. The respective figures declined by 14 percent, 39 percent and 35percent year on year.
Sexual acts are still the most common route ofHIV transmission, VAAC noted.
At the workshop, some participants said genderinequality was mentioned in the framework of guidance for HIV response,including the Law on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control and the national strategyfor HIV/AIDS prevention and control until 2020. This legal framework is a goodstarting point to solve the gender aspects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
However, the national strategy has yet to fullyrecognise the connection between gender inequality and HIV.
[Stigma hurts HIV diagnosis, treatment]
Participants acknowledged that the country hasmade progress in HIV response in terms of prevention, treatment, caring andsupport, stigma and discrimination, and gender inequality, it still needs to domore to ensure that women in different groups will receive full assistance.
UN Women suggested that to deal with genderaspects of HIV, Vietnam should have a strong preventive programme to providenecessary information for women and girls to protect themselves, along withaccessible treatment, caring and assistance systems at reasonable prices. Itshould eradicate stigma and discrimination against women while ensuring women’srights.
VAAC Deputy Director Phan Thi Thu Huong said thehealth ministry will press on with communication activities and call for mediaoutlets’ engagement to raise public awareness, boost women’s access to HIV riskreduction tools, and train more consultants to give relevant advice to womenand girls.
At the workshop, participants also discussed theoutcomes of gender assessment in Vietnam’s HIV response, the HIV pandemic inthe country, and the burden of HIV/AIDS on women and girls.-VNA
VNA
