Difficulties in fighting HIV/AIDS in the highlands
Thanh Chung - Duc Anh•February 24, 2025 15:21
Que Phong is a mountainous district bordering Vietnam - Laos. This is the home to 72,000 people of 6 ethnic groups: Thai, Mong, Kho Mu, Tho, Tay, Kinh... People's lives are still difficult. The educational level is not high. Social evils have many complicated developments. This is one of the reasons why Que Phong district has become the hottest spot for HIV/AIDS in Nghe An.
Up to now, the cumulative number of HIV-infected people in Que Phong district is approximately 2,200. Nearly 700 cases of HIV/AIDS have died. The number of HIV-infected people still alive is 1,480. The number of patients being treated is 986... All 13/13 communes and towns have HIV-infected people. In the photo: Medical staff go to villages to propagate to people to understand the risk of infection with the disease of the century. Photo: Duc Anh
According to medical experts: The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Que Phong district began to emerge in the early years of the 21st century. Drugs from Laos flooded in; social evils penetrated... Drug injection and unsafe sex caused HIV/AIDS to creep into every village and hamlet of this border district. Photo: Duc Anh
To prevent and combat HIV/AIDS, over the past years, the Party Committee, the government, departments, branches and especially the Health Department of Que Phong district have implemented many measures, including: Propaganda, counseling and testing; providing harm reduction intervention services and preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission; distributing syringes, condoms, lubricants; providing care and treatment for HIV/AIDS with ARV drugs for infected people and Methadone treatment for addicts. In the photo: Medical staff are propagandizing for people infected with HIV. Photo: Duc AnhThanks to that, people in this mountainous district have gained knowledge about the disease; have awareness to prevent crime, social evils, HIV/AIDS... Patients have gradually overcome their inferiority complex and actively participated in treatment; actively participated in labor, production... to rebuild their lives. Many patients have been detected, on average 15-20 new patients are detected each year. In the photo: Patients come to district health centers to be examined for HIV infection. Photo: Duc AnhThe district has mobilized the participation of all sectors and levels, and the active participation of the masses to prevent and combat HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS prevention and combat activities are closely linked with the prevention and combat of drug abuse, prostitution, and the movement "All people build a cultural life in residential areas". In the photo: Doctors check and monitor the records of patients infected with the disease of the century. Photo: Duc AnhThere are no measures to manage the health of female prostitutes while prostitution is complicated and difficult to manage. The use of crystal meth and synthetic drugs among teenagers has not been controlled. Stigma and discrimination against people with HIV is still a barrier to HIV testing. In the photo: Blood collection area. Photo: Duc AnhCounseling patients infected with HIV/AIDS. Photo: Duc AnhAlong with that, there are also difficulties in ARV treatment due to drug interruptions, problems in bidding and procurement; life is still difficult, many infected people work far away, slow to get treatment drugs; there are cases of addicts abandoning Methadone treatment. HIV/AIDS has penetrated into Mong villages, where there were no patients before. In the photo: Medical staff dispense Methadone to addicts. Photo: Duc AnhAddicts are given Methadone every day. Photo: Duc AnhHIV/AIDS prevention and control in Que Phong still faces many difficulties and challenges. This requires the health sector in particular, and the Party Committee, government, departments, branches and people to continue to make efforts. At this time, health workers and peer educators here are still working hard to propagate and raise awareness of disease prevention for people in villages; search for patients; mobilize infected people and addicts to comply with treatment and implement measures to prevent transmission; propagate to the younger generation to stay away from drugs and social evils. Photo: Duc Anh
