The southern province of Dong Nai ranks third among 20 southern provinces and cities, and sixth in the whole country in the number of HIV/AIDS patients.

According to the provincial committee for HIV/AIDS prevention and control, since early this year 335 more people have been infected with HIV, bringing the total number of HIV/AIDS patients in Dong Nai to 6,279.

Recently, some non-Government organizations have coordinated with provincial authorities in an effort to prevent the spread of the fatal disease in the locality. However, the epidemic continues to affect rural communes and remote areas as local people do not know how to avoid the risk of infection.