Asian Development Bank, Vietnamese province launch project to curb spread of HIV/AIDS among youth

The Asian Development Bank and the Vietnamese province of Hai Duong have launched an initiative aimed at reducing HIV/AIDS among young people, the VNA/VietNamNet reports.

The $473,296 project is funded by $443,296 from ABD, with the remaining funding allocated in the provincial budget. The project also aims to reduce HIV/AIDS prevalence in Hai Duong to 0.3% by 2010, as well as to curb the spread of the disease beyond 2010.

Under the project, education campaigns targeting people ages 14 to 25 will be launched in an effort to promote behavior change, thereby reducing the population's risk of HIV/AIDS. Youth also will be encouraged to take HIV tests and use condoms, according to VNA/VietNamNet. In addition, the project aims to increase awareness of the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS and bolster community support for people living with the disease.

The project's initial stage, which began this year, will include Hai Duong city and the Kinh Mon district and also will target high-risk groups other than youth. Hai Duong has reported 6,641 HIV cases, 1,068 of which have progressed to AIDS, and 825 AIDS-related deaths. According to recorded data, 55.6% of HIV/AIDS cases occur among people ages 20 to 29 (VNA/VietNamNet, 9/10).