AIDS cases in Vietnam rise

AIDS cases in Vietnam rise

HANOI (DPA): A total of 4,534 people have been diagnosed with the human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) since the disease was first discovered in Vietnam in 1991, the daily Lao Dong reported yesterday.

There have been 337 recorded deaths from AIDS, the lethal disease that stems from the virus, up from just below 300 at the end of August, the newspaper reported, quoting an official report.

The increase comes amid warnings by foreign experts that Vietnam must step up its fight against HIV/AIDS or risk an epidemic.

The World Health Organization and the joint United Nations program on AIDS, UNAIDS, earlier estimated that by 1998 Vietnam may face 570,000 HIV infections causing as many as 15,000 deaths.