The first case of HIV infection was reported in 1990 in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). Since then, the estimated number of people living with HIV had grown considerably, from 140,000 in 2001 to 280,000 in 2009. Also during this period, the number of women living with HIV more than doubled, from 39,000 to 81,000, respectively [1]. The estimated HIV prevalence among adults (15-49) in 2009 was 0.4, which was a slight increase from 0.3% in 2007 [2]. As of end December 2009, a cumulative total of 160,019 HIV cases and 44,050 deaths due to AIDS-related illnesses had been reported [2]. In 2009 alone, 15,713 new HIV cases and 2,010 AIDS-related deaths were reported [2].

Reported HIV cases data by mode of transmissionas as of September 2009 revealed that HIV was mainly transmitted through injecting drug use (53%), followed by heterosexual mode (28%), perinatal (3%) and unknown modes of transmission (16%). Please note that this data from surveillance does not include data on homosexual transmission [3]. Eighty per cent of HIV cases were among those aged 20-39 [2]. Seventy-three per cent of reported cases in 2009 were among men [4].

Preliminary results from the 2009 Integrated Biological and Behavioral Surveys (IBBS) conducted in ten provinces showed a HIV prevalence of 29.5% among injecting drug users (IDUs) [5], and 8.5% among female sex workers (FSWs) [5]. The 2009 IBBS conducted in four provinces showed an overall 16.7% HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) [5], up from 9% in 2005-06 [6]. While the 2009 sentinel surveillance showed a HIV prevalence of 18.4% among IDUs [7] and 3.2% among FSWs (based on 40 surveyed provinces) [7]. MSM were not included in the HIV sentinel surveillance.

Among the vulnerability factors include: the rise in commercial sex [8]; discrimination and punitive measures against key affected groups, notably drug users [9]; migrant workers comprising a big percentage (over 70%) of all workers in the industrial parks and export processing zones [10]; continued low rates of condom use among young, sexually active people [10]; increased spread of HIV among the younger and economically active population [10]; increased overlap between injecting drug use and sex work [10]; and a range of sexual networking occurring among current key affected populations and the population at large.

Sources:

[1] UNAIDS, Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic, 2010

[2] Vietnam, UNGASS Country Report, 2010

[3] Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control, 2010

[4] Report on 2009 HIV/AIDS Epidemic report. VAAC, 2010, as cited by Vietnam, UNGASS Country Report, 2010

[5] Vietnam, IBBS, 2009, cited in Vietnam, UNGASS Country Report, 2010

[6] IBBS 2005-2006, as cited by Vietnam, UNAIDS, UNGASS Country Report, 2008

[7] HIV Sentinel Surveillance Survey 2009, Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control cited in  Vietnam, UNGASS Country Report, 2010; IBBS cited in Vietnam, UNGASS Country Report, 2010

[8] Socialist Republic of Vietnam in UNGASS 2008 Country Report (January 2006 to December 2007), January 2008 as cited by as cited by Mesquita F, Jacka D et al, “Accelerating harm reduction interventions to confront the HIV epidemic in the Western Pacific and Asia: the role of WHO (WPRO).” Harm Reduction Journal, 2008, 5:26

[9] Hammett TM, Des Jarlais D, et al., “HIV prevention for injection drug users in China and Vietnam: policy and research considerations.” Global Public Health, 2007;2(2):125-39.

[10] UNAIDS, The Far Away From Home Club: HIV Prevention and Policy Implementation Feedback for Migrant and Mobile Populations in the Mekong River Delta, Viet Nam. UNAIDS, November 2008