Leprosy situation in Vietnam--reduced burden of stigma.

a. Country profile Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the easternmost nation on the Indochina Peninsula. It borders China to the north, Laos to the northwest, and Cambodia to the southwest. On the country's east coast lies the South China Sea. The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi and the largest and most populous city is Ho Chi Minh City. Vietnam, with its 4-level administrative system, is divided into 59 provinces and 5 province-level cities, which are further subdivided into districts and municipalities. Each district or municipality consists of 10-20 communes. Often, the Vietnamese government groups the various provinces into eight regions: Northwest, Northeast, Red River Delta, North Central Coast, South Central Coast, Central Highland, Southeast and Mekong River Delta. Vietnam extends approximately 331, 688 square km in area. With a population of over 85 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world.