Vietnam has just conducted a survey of HIV/AIDS among normal households, aiming to detect the disease infection rate in the community.

Most of the previous surveys were implemented on high-risk groups, including drug addicts and prostitutes, according to local newspaper Youth on Wednesday.

To carry out the survey funded by the World Bank, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology will test HIV virus on dried-blood for the first time. The tests are being conducted first on 3, 000 people in northern Thai Binh province and 1,500 others in southern Ho Chi Minh City.

As of March 31, Vietnam had diagnosed more than 93,000 HIV carriers, of whom 14,913 developed full-blown AIDS, including 8,768 fatalities. The actual number of infections may be higher.

The country has targeted to reduce the HIV/AIDS infection rate among its 82-million population to below 0.3 percent by 2010, and keep it unchanged after 2020.

To this end, the country has intensified publicity about HIV/AIDS with contents expanding into areas of virtues, lifestyle and behavior, including encouraging youths to use "ABC" preventive approach (Abstinence, Being faithful and Condom use) and keep away from such evils as drug addiction and prostitution.

Source: Xinhua