His request was made at a national video conference held in Hanoi on March 5 by the National Steering Committee for Prevention and Control of AIDS, Drug and Prostitution, to review the committee’s operations in 2012 and devise key orientations for 2013. 

Phuc required committee to improve the legal framework for operations under its charge, and intensify communications campaigns to enhance awareness on the fight against HIV, drugs and prostitution, especially among young people. 

He noted that drug-related crimes have not decreased and there are hidden risks of new breakout of the AIDS epidemic. 

According to the Public Security Ministry, there are over 172,000 drug addicts in 60 out of 63 localities nationwide. 96 percent of addicts are males, of which 50 percent are aged from 16 to 30. 

By the end of 2012, the country had 210,700 HIV carriers, including 61,000 AIDS patients. In the last year some 14,000 were newly infected while 6,700 developed full-blown AIDS and 4,000 were listed as AIDS patients

The northern mountainous province of Dien Bien leads the nation in the rate of HIV infection, followed by Ho Chi Minh City.

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