3:26:35 PM | 7/8/2005
The World Bank (WB) yesterday approved a grant of USUS$35 million to help Vietnam to curb the transmission of HIV/AIDS, according to a source from the WB.
The non-refundable aid will support Vietnam's HIV/AIDS prevention strategy in the period to 2010 and the country's vision to 2020.
The capital is reported as the WB's largest non-refundable aid to Vietnam in a bid to help the country reduce the rate of HIV/AIDS infection among residents to 0.3 per cent.
The majority of the funding, around USUS$21.6 million, will support localities in the country to design and implement specific provincial action plans. Another USUS$8.3 million will be used to map out policies and realize the National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Program and the remaining USUS$5.1 million will be poured into project management of government workers at central to provincial levels.
The Vietnamese Government will contribute USUS$3.5 million in reciprocal capital to the project.
According to the General Statistics Office, Vietnam has so far identified 92,600 HIV/AIDS carriers, including 14,800 AIDS developers and 8,700 deaths.
However, the Ministry of Health estimated that the real figures might reach over 240,000 people.
The major burden of disease is being borne by young people. More than 60 per cent of HIV/AIDS victims are attributed to people between 20 to 29 years old. If the epidemic continues to spread through this age group - the country's most economically productive demographic, the economic consequences will be serious.
Vietnam's on-going national strategy on HIV/AIDS prevention and control, aims to reduce the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among the general population to below 0.3 per cent by 2010, to prevent further increases after 2010, and to reduce the adverse impacts of HIV/AIDS on socio-economic development.
Vietnamese
