Foreign experts suggested Asian colleagues reach a consensus on how to prevent the resistance of anti-HIV drugs, estimate budgets and devise technical assistance plans for supervising HIV drug resistance in each nation.

The five-day conference, which will run through March 31, is being jointly organised by the Vietnam Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Vietnam, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s Global AIDS Programme in Asia and the World Health Organisation.

Since early this year, Vietnam has carried out a pilot programme on checking the treatment of anti-retroviral drugs for more than 70 HIV positive patients. Since 2004, PEPFAR has assisted Vietnam and 14 other nations in implementing a programme on caring and treating HIV infected patients.

PEPFAR has pledged a provision of US$34 million to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS in Vietnam in 2006.