As South-East Asians increasingly migrate overseas in search of work, there is concern over the growing number of family members, particularly children, left behind in the home countries.
In January 2008, Caritas held workshops and seminars in Ho Chi Minh City to boost the knowledge of Church workers regarding innovations in AIDS care.
According to the UNAIDS Epidemic Update, about 290,000 children under the age of 15 died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2007. Many of these children were poorly diagnosed or received no - or inadequate - treatment.
The estimated number of people living with HIV in Vietnam more than doubled from 120,000 in the year 2000 to 260,000 in 2005 and had reached some 300,000 at the end of 2007.