Vietnam is one of the five Asian countries that has made great progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, said Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Michel Sidibe.

The Lao Dong (Labour) daily quoted the UNAIDS Executive Director as saying that around 28,000 HIV patients in Vietnam are expected to access treatment services in the HIV/AIDS prevention programmes this year, compared with 11,600 people in 2007 and 24,500 people in 2008.

HIV prevention programmes must be expanded in the Asian region, he said, adding that they include programmes to change injection needles and provide substitution treatment for drug users, deliver condoms and invite people in high-risk groups to use voluntary HIV testing and consultation services.

In Asia, over 1,000 new HIV-infected cases are recorded each day, according to the UNAIDS.

Source: VOVNews/VNA