Vietnam strives to have more HIV/AIDS infected people with health insurance in a bid to eliminate HIV/AIDS epidemic. Because financial aid from international groups has been cut thus treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS will reliant on domestic sources forcing patients to have health insurance which ensures for a prolonged treatment. However, the rate of HIV/AIDS infected people having health insurance is low causing difficulties for the country’s efforts to end the epidemic. There are almost 29,402 people living with HIV/ AIDS in Ho Chi Minh City, said Duong Minh Hai from the city’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Center at a seminar to value the treatment of HIV/AIDS people with health insurance in 2016 lately. Of 29,402 people, 27,685 people received consultation. 19,583 city residents were consulted the treatment of the disease, just 13,639 had health insurance accounting for 70 percent yet only 4,985 used health insurance card. Though the city authority has adopted many … [Read more...] about HIV/AIDS infected people to have health insurance
Who treatment guidelines for hiv
Vietnam pilots HIV testing in community settings
Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) under the Ministry of Health (MoH) has unveiled a plan to pilot the community-based HIV testing and counseling programme from 2015 to 2017. The programme, from the fourth quarter of 2015 to the end of the third quarter of 2017, will be firstly implemented in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Dien Bien, Nghe An, and Thanh Hoa provinces to study the feasibility of community-based HIV testing models. Its goals are to increase uptake of HIV testing among at-risk individuals who may not have access to health services or hard-to-reach groups and develop a guideline for proper HIV testing and counseling in community settings. The ministry will provide training for non-specialist health workers and adopt a mechanism for coordination between community-based organisations and clinics that perform HIV confirmatory tests and those offering antiretroviral (ARV) treatment. A system for monitoring and evaluating the non-clinical HIV … [Read more...] about Vietnam pilots HIV testing in community settings
Former CEOs jailed for deforestation
Former CEOs jailed for deforestation Eight former officials were sentenced to between ten months' probation and three years in jail by the People's Court of Central Highland Dak Nong Province for causing the loss of over 1,300 hectares of forests. Than Van Minh, 70, former CEO of Quang Tin Forestry Co Ltd, received three years in jail, while Than Van Hoa, 39, former CEO, and Tran Van Loi, 48, former acting director, were given three years' probation. The other accused received ten months' probation. Of the 9,800ha of forests the company received from the provincial People's Committee in 2007, 1,300ha were destroyed due to mismanagement. The estimated damage was more than VND198 billion(US$9.5 million). Dong Nai fines two mining firms Two mining enterprises in the southern province of Dong Nai have been fined VND10 million (US$476) for not fulfilling their commitments to redress environmental damage caused by their activities. According to the provincial Department of Natural Resources … [Read more...] about Former CEOs jailed for deforestation
Social Highlights for November 29
Dong Nai fines two mining firms Two mining enterprises in the southern province of Dong Nai have been fined VND10 million (US$476) for not fulfilling their commitments to redress environmental damage caused by their activities. According to the provincial Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, the violating companies are the Bien Hoa Building Materials Production and Construction Co., Ltd and Hoa An Company. Hoang Van Thong, Chief Inspector from the department, said the companies, which have been licensed to exploit stone at the Hoa An Quarry in the province's Bien Hoa City, had not planted trees as required, and failed to repair the local road after exploiting minerals at the area. The companies have been asked to restore the area's environment and transport all the stones they exploited. Local authorities have said they will close the quarry late December. Former CEOs jailed for deforestation Eight former officials were sentenced to between ten months' probation … [Read more...] about Social Highlights for November 29
SOCIETY IN BRIEF 5/11
Smoking causes 40,000 deaths, costs $1 bln Every year Vietnamese spend over US$1 billion on cigarettes while the country suffers 40,000 deaths from smoking-related diseases, the Medical Examination and Treatment Department reported. Besides, hundreds of thousands of others are treated for smoking-related diseases every year, it said. With 15.3 million smokers, or 23.8 percent of its population of 86 million, Vietnam is among the 15 countries with the highest smoking rate, Dr Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the department, said. A further 33 million people are passive smokers, with the exposure rates at home and the workplace reaching 67.6 percent and 49 percent respectively. The exposure rate is 70 percent among women and 50 percent among children. Cigarette prices in Vietnam are among the world's lowest, so many people get easy access, Khue said. The draft Law on Prevention and Control of Harmful Health Effects of Smoking proposes the tax rate on cigarettes be raised to 65 … [Read more...] about SOCIETY IN BRIEF 5/11