The ambassador made the remark at a ceremony to announce the 2006 Country Operational Plan (COP) supporting Vietnam's HIV/AIDS efforts, co-organised by the US Embassy and the Vietnamese Ministry of Health (MoH) in Hanoi on June 7.

This annual plan reflects a joint US and Vietnamese Government plan to support prevention, care and treatment in Vietnam totally worth more than US$34 million. Of the sum, US$11 million is allocated to anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment activities, US$9 million to care for persons with HIV and US$7 million to prevention activities, the US Ambassador said.

The 2006 COP has been carefully worked out, in coordination with the MoH and many other partners, to provide support for the nine priority programmes of action within the Vietnam National Strategy for HIV and AIDS Control.

The US diplomat also spoke highly of Vietnam's progress in combating HIV/AIDS. In the past year, Vietnam made a great effort to provide high-quality ARV treatment for many people. Over 1,500 persons have been receiving ARV treatment procured with President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) dollars.  “We are committed to increasing this number to support rational and high-quality scale-up,” he said.

Mr Marine believed that Vietnam can win the battle against the HIV/AIDS epidemic, but it will not be easy.  However, he said, there are many promising signs, including a greater acknowledgment by the Vietnamese Government leadership of the extent of the epidemic, increased government commitment to fighting the disease, increased government spending, a new HIV/AIDS law, and increased donor commitment.