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AIDS toll rises

sharply in Vietnam

HANOI: Seventy people have died of AIDS in Vietnam, government officials said on Friday, noting a sharp rise in confirmed deaths over the past two months.

The official figure for deaths from acquired immune deficiency syndrome was up from 55 in early June, they said.

The National AIDS Protection Committee also recorded a marked increase in the number of people with full AIDS to 231 from 131 reported in June.

A total of 2,913 people were confirmed victims of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which can cause AIDS, up from 2,520 in June. They include 80 foreigners, mostly Thai fishermen.

The officials gave no reason for the sharp increases in the figures, but experts attribute them to improved testing and data collection as the government strives to tackle the disease.

Most of the deaths and HIV cases were in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's biggest city and a major river port. Most people with HIV were drug addicts.-Reuter