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Vietnam |
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| |
|
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| Total Treatment Sites: |
4 |
| Treatment Site Location(s): |
| Hai Phong |
| Quang Ninh |
| Thai Binh |
| Bac Giang | |
| Patients on ART: |
444 |
| Patient Enrolled: |
790 |
| Report in PDF Format: |
Vietnam Country Report |
| |
HIV/AIDS in Vietnam
In Vietnam, HIV has been detected in all 64 provinces and the adult HIV prevalence rate is 0.5%. The Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) within the Ministry of Health coordinates with international partners and implements national HIV programs and activities. Though Vietnam’s Human Poverty Index rank is 36th amongst developing countries, it is expected to achieve middle-income status by 2010. It is therefore crucial that national government systems be put in place for the future when donors will likely begin to withdraw support.
HIV prevalence is highest among injecting drug users (28.6%) and of all reported HIV cases, 78.9% are in the age group 20-39. Males account for 85.2% of total reported HIV cases (UNAIDS, 2008).
Major barriers to prevention, treatment, care and support are stigma and discrimination, access for key populations at higher risk (IDUs, female sex workers, and men who have sex with men), and the lack of human resources. To address the latter issue and consolidate and improve access to human resources, the government established a decentralized health system by setting up provincial AIDS centers in 90% of provinces.
AHF Activities in Vietnam
In 2005, AIDS Healthcare Foundation formalized its partnership with VAAC. In 2007, AHF signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hai Phong AIDS Control Center and the Ministry of Health and inaugurated its first ART clinic in collaboration with the center and Thuy Nguyen District Hospital. AHF partnered with VAAC and Quang Ninh Provincial AIDS Center to open a second clinic in March 2008 in Hoanh Bo District, Quang Ninh Province. Services include free ART, support services including CD4, basic laboratory tests, counseling, and OI treatment.
At Hai Phong clinic, AHF provides direct care and treatment, technical assistance, and capacity building trainings for healthcare personnel. AHF also addresses the issues of poverty affecting patients by providing additional OI drug procurement, transportation and nutritional support that drastically improves adherence and health outcomes. In addition to similar high-quality services, at Quang Ning clinic in Hoanh Bo District, AHF also travels biweekly to a provincial drug rehabilitation (06) center. Here AHF-trained doctors, nurses, and counselors provide HIV/AIDS care and support to some of Vietnam’s most at-risk populations.
In 2004, AHF developed the HIV Medic program, an innovative solution to the shortage of healthcare workers in resource-constrained settings. Through this 12-week intensive program, laypeople are trained to become paraprofessional “extenders” of treatment who provide basic triage and intensive adherence support, and assist in the provision of ART. In November 2008, in collaboration with VAAC, AHF brought this WHO-cited “best practice” task-shifting program to Vietnam. 31 PLWHA from Hai Phong and Quang Ninh provinces were trained to take on some of the clinical, counseling and administrative responsibilities from nurses and doctors so that the clinical team is able to care for and treat larger numbers of patients in less time.
AHF also cooperates with the Ministry of Health of Vietnam to organize events responding to the National Month of Action and World AIDS Day.
Models of Care
Technical Assistance & Supervision
Direct Care
Training
