Access to HIV-related health services for gay men, transgender people
Experts have gathered at a forum in Ho Chi Minh City to seek ways to help local men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people access HIV-related health care services.
A doctor gives consultation to a patient living with HIV (Photo:VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – Experts have gathered at a forum in Ho Chi Minh City to seek ways to help local men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people access HIV-related health care services.
The event was jointly organised on November 7 by the Centre for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control under the municipal Department of Health, the Vietnam Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS in southern region (VNP+) and the PATH-funded Healthy Markets Project.
The forum, part of activities to mark the 25th anniversary of the HIV/AIDS prevention and fight work in Vietnam in general and in the city in particular, aims to reduce discrimination against MSM and transgender people.
Doctor Tieu Thi Thu Van from the Centre called on the community to eliminate stigma and discrimination against MSM and transgender people, and help them integrate into the society and access HIV-related health care services.
Changing attitudes towards MSM and transgender people would contribute to implementing commitments on HIV/AIDS prevention and fight Vietnam has made to the United Nations, looking towards an end of HIV/AIDS by 2030, Van said.
A number of real stories heard at the forum showed that discrimination prevents them from approaching health care services.
Nguyen Anh Phong, a representative of the VNP+ said MSM and transgender people themselves should have a healthy lifestyle to eliminate the discrimination among their families and the society.
According to the VNP+, the city is home ♊to roughly 30,000 MSM and transgender people, who are highly vulnerable to HIV infection. The infection rate iಞn the urban area is estimated at 16 percent in MSM, and 18 percent in transgender people.-VNA
Nearly 800 domestic and foreign managers, scientists and experts in infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS are attending a conference in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.
An educational campaign was launched on September 30 with the aim of helping the ‘Men who have sex with men (MSM)’ community improve their knowledge on safe sex and prevention of HIV.
Community-based organisations working with HIV/AIDS patients have sought support from local enterprises as funds from international aid for HIV/AIDS prevention will continue to fall.
Up to 100,000 people living with HIV nationwide are currently being treated with antiretroviral (ARV) drug as a result of the on-going effective HIV/AIDS prevention and control programme in Vietnam.
Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) Le Quoc Minh has called for technology to be leveraged not to replace identity, but to enhance it—allowing Vietnamese journalism to reach both local and global audiences.
In recent years, with strong support from the Party and State, and building on its tradition as a heroic news agency, the VNA has not only actively participated in OANA but also proactively proposed various ideas for cooperation, helping shape a fresh image of effective media collaboration in the digital era, said VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.
The education sector has been one of the foundations playing a vital role in deepening Vietnam – New Zealand ties, said Prof. Damon Salesa, Vice-Chancellor of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Tien Giang province has addressed the housing needs of 608 poor, near-poor, and policy-beneficiary families facing housing difficulties. Of these, 370 houses were newly constructed while 238 underwent major renovations.
Dr Pham Minh Hung from the University of Economics and Business under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the fixed-term contract mechanism is a correct step, liberating the entire system from traditional constraints which have long stood in the way of innovation.
The partnership will focus on studying and recommending LRT routes that connect the city’s transport network with urban development zones, industrial parks, and TOD areas. The research will cover Thu Dau Mot city and surrounding areas, with completion scheduled before August 15, 2025.
Media must not only serve as a channel for information but also act as a vanguard in shaping public opinion, combating misinformation, upholding the Party’s ideological principles, and reinforcing unity between Vietnam and Laos.
In Vietnam, the voluntary blood donation movement was first launched on January 24, 1994. In 2008, the Prime Minister established the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation.
Currently, 20 Vietnamese citizens remain in Iran, including embassy staff and personnel. All are safe, mentally stable, and in regular contact with the embassy.
A VietnamPlus survey of 764 young people shows that 83.9% of Gen Z use smartphones to read news, only 12% use computers, and the rest access content via tablets.
GVB Startup 2025 attracted the participation of nearly 150 individuals and organisations from across Vietnam. The event seeks to promote bold and ambitious startup ideas and projects, contributing to the future of global innovation, and supporting startups through the provision of resources, networking opportunities, and market insights.
AI could not replace human judgment in verifying information and sensitive political events, and that humans remain the final gatekeepers of content, said Leonid Kovachich, head of the Asian department at Sputnik's international broadcasting division.
A veteran journalist of Argentina has praised the modern evolution of Vietnam’s press, which now serves a dual purpose: introducing Vietnam to the world while bringing global perspectives to domestic audiences.
The court announced that Quyet had submitted a written request to be tried in absentia, citing serious health issues. According to an official statement from Hospital 19/8, the defendant is suffering from multiple illnesses, experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, with doctors warning of a “very high risk of death.”
A senior Party official highlighted the VNA’s consistent role over the past eight decades, noting that it remains a mainstream, uninterrupted, timely, accurate, and authoritative source of news that helps shape public opinion, strengthen public trust, and safeguard the ideological foundation of the Party.
Dr. Kobelev, born in 1938 in Ulyanovsk, was among the first Soviet scholars to specialise in Vietnam. As a former TASS correspondent during the war in Vietnam, he worked closely with Vietnamese institutions and later helped found Russia’s Centre for Vietnamese and ASEAN Studies.
The 22 million THB (680,000 USD) hall construction is slated for completion within three years, just in time for the 2028 centennial of President Ho Chi Minh’s arrival in Thailand.
Among those receiving reduced sentences were Tran Tung, former Deputy Director of the Thai Nguyen provincial Department of Foreign Affairs, whose prison term was cut to 10 years from 12, with six years for accepting bribes and four for abusing power while performing official duties.
A doctor gives consultation to a patient living with HIV (Photo:VNA)
