Vietnam to back needle exchanges
Vietnam's National Assembly is due to pass a new law allowing illegal drug users to receive clean needles to tackle the growing HIV/Aids problem.
Until now, needle exchanges have been illegal in Vietnam.
The measure is part of a comprehensive package intended to halt the spread of the virus, which is estimated to infect about 100 Vietnamese every day.
Last month UNAids listed Vietnam as one of the countries in which the spread of infection was a major concern.
The initial version of this law did not meet the approval of international organisations working on HIV and Aids, and it took two years of negotiations to get a draft on which everyone could agree.
The most difficult issue has been how to treat intravenous drug users.
A third of injecting drug users in Vietnam are HIV positive.
Drug use is regarded as a social evil in Vietnam - something that should be tackled without compromise.
But the consensus among HIV experts is that allowing drug users to receive clean needles - rather that sharing dirty ones - slows the spread of the disease.
Unofficial needle exchanges do exist in Vietnam but their users and staff currently risk being arrested.
Just as controversial is the use of substitute drugs to help heroin users kick their habit.
The law is vague on this point, but drug counsellors say it will allow substances such as methadone to be prescribed.
There are about 300,000 people living with HIV/Aids in Vietnam.
In Ho Chi Minh City more than 1% of the population is estimated to be infected.
By Bill Hayton - BBC News - June 21, 2006.
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