Assessing the Vietnam Situation: HIV/AIDS Communication in Context

This literature review provides an overview of HIV/AIDS in Vietnam and represents the first part of a three-year research project. This review was conducted from December 2001 to April 2002.

According to this report, South-South East Asia contributes 15 of the 40 million people identified with HIV throughout the world. In Vietnam young people account for more than 50% of the HIV cases. The Vietnam government is targeting them as a top priority group in the HIV/AIDS prevention and control programme.

These are the objectives of the report:

• The development of HIV/AIDS in Vietnam including features unique to Vietnam.
• The meanings (stigma, fear and denial) attached to HIV/AIDS.
• Sexual practices and the inherent gender roles and relations of target audiences.
• Local institutional capacity to tackle the HIV/AIDS (with particular focus on the health and educational systems).
• National policies and communication practices informing and guiding HIV/AIDS prevention.
• A possible HIV/AIDS communication strategy.

Findings are broken into four parts:

Part 1. HIV/AIDS Epidemic In Vietnam including: HIV/AIDS development, HIV/AIDS divided by gender and age, transmission modes and meaning of HIV/AIDS to the community (stigma, denial, acceptance)

Part 2: Sexual Practice and HIV/AIDS Knowledge of Adolescents and Young Adults

Part 3: Institutional Capacity in Fighting HIV/AIDS

Part 4: The National Policies and Communication Practices Informing and Guiding HIV/AIDS Prevent in the Chosen Countries

The report ends with a number of recommendations. Research indicates that HIV/AIDS in Vietnam is still in an early stage and will develop quickly if more effective measures are not taken.

Click here to access this report in PDF format.