The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) pledged to work closely with Vietnam to prevent and drive back the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Secretary General Martin Chungong told National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong at a meeting in Hanoi on November 30.

He recognised Vietnam ’s achievements in the field and said he hopes the Southeast Asian country will become a strong member in the union.

Martin Chungong appreciated the country’s preparations for the 132nd IPU Assembly – which is slated for March 2015 in Hanoi – adding that he believed the event will be a success.

For her part, the Vietnamese lawmaker asked the IPU to coordinate closely with Vietnam in drafting the Hanoi Statement that demonstrates the resolve of parliamentarians worldwide to work for post-2015 sustainable development targets for a world of peace, friendship, democracy and development.

She said that Vietnam is honoured to be selected again to participate in the trilateral cooperation programme on HIV/AIDS among the IPU, the UNAIDS, and an IPU member parliament.

The results of this programme, particularly the role of the Vietnamese National Assembly in combating HIV/AIDS and implementing the millennium development goals, will be introduced at the upcoming 132nd IPU Asembly.

Vietnam, which became a member of the IPU in 1979, is striving to end AIDS by 2030.

According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam currently has around 224,000 HIV-infected patients, and just more than half of them know about their HIV positive status. Around 10,000 new HIV infections are detected each year./

Parliamentarians discuss their role in HIV/AIDS fight

Vietnamese National Assembly deputies and representatives from Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) member parliaments discussed with experts what they can do to strengthen the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS at a workshop in Hanoi on November 30.

The event was co-organised by the Vietnam National Assembly (NA), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) with the aim of enhancing parliamentarians’ awareness about HIV/AIDS and their capacity in building laws as well as in monitoring law enforcement in the field.

In opening the workshop, NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong stressed that Vietnam has constantly updated and completed a system of policies and legal frameworks on HIV/AIDS preventions and control, which gradually met the requirements of reality and the international legal standards in this fields.

Under the National Strategy on AIDS prevention and control in 2010 with a vision to 2020, Vietnam has reduced the numbers of new HIV infections, AIDS patients and fatalities, and kept the HIV infection rate at 0.26 percent, the lowest in the Southeast Asian region.

UNAIDS country director in Vietnam Kristan Schoultz hailed Vietnam’s commitment to the 90–90–90 goals as the first country in Asia to undertake maximum efforts to respond to the UNAIDS’ call.

The UNAIDS pledged to work closely with Vietnam to find sustainable solutions to prevent and drive back and eradicate the HIV/AIDS pandemic by 2030.

The 90–90–90 targets mean 90 percent of people living with HIV will know about their HIV status; 90 percent of people who know their status will be on HIV treatment; and 90 percent of all people on treatment will have undetectable levels of HIV in their body (known as viral suppression).

NA Chairman receives IPU Secretary General

Vietnam hopes to receive more support from the Inter-Parliamentary Union(IPU) to successfully organise the 132nd IPU Assembly in 2015, said National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung at a meeting with IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong in Hanoi on November 28.

Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung affirmed that the Vietnamese NA, Government and agencies will do their utmost to make the 132 nd IPU Assembly a success, saying the statement to be made during the event will continue to esteem the role of global parliamentary activities.

For his part, Martin Chungong spoke highly of the Vietnamese NA’s participation in inter-parliamentary activities, adding that IPU is focusing on building an information system and data network that will facilitate member parliaments’ operations.

Appreciating Vietnam’s preparations, he expressed his belief that Vietnam will successfully organise the 132nd IPU Assembly.

This will be an opportunity for the international community to see the strong development of Vietnam in all fields, he said.