CDC AND GVN LAUNCH NATIONAL PROGRAM TO COMBAT HIV/AIDS

UNCLAS HANOI 000553 SIPDIS DEPT ALSO FOR EAP/BCLTV, EAP/PD AND FOR AID/ANE/AFERRARA AND DHEISLER PASS BBG/VOA FOR EAST ASIA PACIFIC DIVISION USDOL FOR ILAB/CATHRYN HELM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KHIV TBIO EAID VM HIV AIDS SUBJECT: CDC AND GVN LAUNCH NATIONAL PROGRAM TO COMBAT HIV/AIDS ¶1. THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH (MOH)/NATIONAL AIDS STANDING BUREAU, IN COLLABORATION WITH AND SUPPORT FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 00553 110920Z CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC)/EMBASSY HANOI, HAS LAUNCHED ITS NATIONAL PROGRAM TO COMBAT THE HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC WITH A TWO- DAY WORKING MEETING OF KEY PROVINCIAL LEADERS FROM 40 PROVINCES ACROSS VIETNAM. ONE MEETING TOOK PLACE IN HANOI, MARCH 6TH AND 7TH, FOR LEADERS FROM THE NORTHERN PROVINCES, AND A SECOND WILL OCCUR IN HO CHI MINH CITY, MARCH 13TH AND 14TH, FOR LEADERS FROM THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES. ¶2. THE MEETINGS ARE DESIGNED TO ORIENT PROVINCIAL LEADERS ON THE MOH AND CDC COLLABORATION, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPING HIV PREVENTION PROGRAMS THAT ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS, SUCH AS INJECTION DRUG USERS (IDU) AND COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS (CSW). DISCUSSIONS FOCUS ON INTEGRATED VOLUNTARY HIV COUNSELING AND TESTING (VCT),PEER EDUCATION, AND EARLY HIV INTERVENTION, CARE AND SUPPORT ACTIVITIES. AMONG MANY ISSUES DISCUSSED IS THE IMPORTANCE OF PROMOTING HIV TESTING SO THAT HIV- INFECTED PERSONS LEARN THEIR STATUS EARLY. PROVIDING ANONYMOUS COUNSELING AND TESTING IS ONE MECHANISM FOR EARLY HIV DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. THE TWO-DAY MEETINGS ALSO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT MANAGEMENT MECHANISMS AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. ¶3. IN OCTOBER 2001, THE USG, THROUGH EMBASSY HANOI, SIGNED A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE MOH ESTABLISHING A FIVE-YEAR, $10 MILLION PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN AND EXPAND VIETNAM'S HIV PREVENTION AND CARE PROGRAM. VIETNAM IS ONE OF 24 COUNTRIES SUPPORTED BY THE USG'S GLOBAL COMMITMENT TO CURB THE FURTHER SPREAD OF HIV DISEASE THROUGH FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT (GLOBAL AIDS PROGRAM [GAP]). PROGRAM AREAS SUPPORTED UNDER GAP IN VIETNAM INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT AND EXPANSION OF VCT AND PEER EDUCATION PROGRAMS, EARLY HIV CLINICAL INTERVENTION PROGRAM, AND UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 00553 110920Z TRAINING OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH- RELATED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS. ¶4. OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, CDC WILL WORK CLOSELY WITH THE VIETNAM GAP-LIFE REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE (MOH'S OPERATIONAL ARM FOR THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT) IN CONDUCTING PROVINCIAL SITUATIONAL AND NEEDS ASSESSMENTS, DEVELOPING INTEGRATED VCT SYSTEMS IN THE 40 PROVINCES WITH THE HIGHEST HIV PREVALENCE, EXPANDING AND STRENGTHENING HIV/STD/TB SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS, AND PROVIDING TRAINING TO STRENGTHEN THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS FOR BETTER CARE AND SUPPORT OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV OR THOSE WHO ARE AT HIGH RISK FOR CONTACTING THE DISEASE. ¶5. COMMENT: HIV/AIDS IN VIETNAM HAS RAPIDLY INCREASED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. ALTHOUGH CURRENTLY HIV IN VIETNAM IS STILL LARGELY IN HIGH-RISK GROUPS INCLUDING IDU AND CSW AND REMAINS LOW IN THE GENERAL POPULATION, THE EXPLOSIVE EPIDEMICS IN THAILAND AND CAMBODIA PRESENT A THREAT TO THE LOW NUMBER OF INFECTIONS IN VIETNAM. CDC'S GLOBAL AIDS PROGRAM IS ONE THE LARGEST OF SEVERAL USG PROGRAMS WORKING COOPERATIVELY IN VIETNAM TO HELP PREVENT THE EPIDEMIC IN VIETNAM FROM BECOMING LIKE THAT OF THAILAND OR CAMBODIA. THE U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) AND THE US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ARE ALSO SUPPORTING HIV PREVENTION PROGRAMS IN VIETNAM, WORKING WITH INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL NGO'S AND VIETNAM'S MINISTRIES OF HEALTH AND LABOR IN DEVELOPING HIV INTERVENTIONS TARGETING HIGH-RISK POPULATIONS AND PROGRAMS AIMED AT REDUCING STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE. BURGHARDT UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 00553 110920Z UNCLASSIFIED