VietNamNet - Drug users should have access to clean syringes in order to help combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Vietnam, according to a March 24 seminar of National Assembly deputies titled "Measures to reduce HIV/AIDS infection among drug users".

The decision to encourage drug users to use clean syringes, a key measure in efforts aimed at preventing HIV/AIDS infection, was discussed at the seminar, which was held by the National Assembly's Committee for Social Affairs in co-ordination with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Gray Sattler, an expert from the WHO, said 10 percent of HIV carriers worldwide used virus- infected syringes. Currently there are 3.3 million injection drug users who are also HIV/AIDS carriers.

Commenting on the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Vietnam, Deputy Head of the HIV/AIDS Control Department Dr Nguyen Thanh Long said the country had more than 104,000 HIV diagnoses by the end of last year. Among them, 17,289 were suffering from AIDS and 10,071 had died.

Long said the measures suggested at the seminar addressed the fact that Vietnam could not completely eradicate illegal narcotics imported from abroad.

He said the main measures in reducing HIV/AIDS infection among drug users were education through the media and social organisations, which could organise drug-users' groups to provide access to syringes and condoms.

Long said there are many methods in implementing the syringe programme, such as programmes for the exchange of used syringes for new, clean ones and the mass distribution of clean syringes to users.

(Source: VNA)