ADB Funds $20M to Curb HIV Transmission in Vietnam, Laos

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Oct 31 it has funded $20 million worth of loans to prevent the spread of HIV infection in Vietnam and Laos, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported. The loans would be financed in a five-year program that will strengthen national HIV planning and management, improve knowledge of HIV prevention and medical services to health workers, mostly those in remote communities, and gradually reduce social discrimination against people living with HIV (PLWH). The program will focus on 23 border provinces in the Mekong sub-region, which is home to people of high-risk groups, including cross-border migrators and those working in hotels, casinos and other related businesses. “As people and products move more freely across borders, so do communicable diseases, such as HIV,” ADB Economist Emiko Masaki said in a statement. The HIV infection rate among adults of the whole populations in Vietnam and Laos are at estimated rates of 0.4% and 0.2%, respectively. Despite such low official rates of infection, the disease has spread to all districts in Vietnam and is climbing in the border areas. As of June 2012, Vietnam had more than 204,000 people living with HIV (PLWH), 81% of whom are in the 20-39 age group. Since 1990, there have been over 61,000 AIDS-caused deaths. Vietnam heavily relies on foreign financial sources in the fight against HIV/AIDS as 72.5% of the country’s total spending on HIV control in 2008-2010 came from overseas sources. (Tuoi Tre – Youth Nov 2 p2, www.bernama.com Oct 31)