Representatives from regional countries, donors, international organisations and delegates under 18 will attend the East-Asia and Pacific Regional Consultative Conference on Children and HIV/AIDS to be held in Hanoi from March 22-24.

Deputy Chairman of Vietnam Committee for Population, Family and Children Phung Ngoc Hung made the announcement at a press conference in Hanoi on March 14.

The conference aims to discuss plans and actions for children activities. It will also introduce the child-related issues into the agenda so that preventative activities for children can be improved as well as HIV/AIDS treatment to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on children’s lives.

Mr Hung said around 20 million people die of AIDS in the world and nearly 40 million are living with the deadly disease, including 2.2 million children, according to recent statistics.

In the East-Asia and Pacific region, around 1.5 million have become orphans due to AIDS, 120,700 children are living with HIV/AIDS, 46,900 children have just been infected with the lethal disease and 35,000 need preventative measures to treat the disease.