The Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association (VUSTA) was chosen to receive aid from the Global Fund with total expected funds of US$6.9 million including official development assistance and corresponding funds from the Vietnam Government.
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The Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association (VUSTA) was chosen to receive aid from the Global Fund with total expected funds of US$6.9 million including official development assistance and corresponding funds from the Vietnam Government.
The choice was made by the Global Fund, the Vietnam National Co-ordinating Committee, the Ministry of Health and concerned organisations in a conference on HIV/AIDS prevention and control held in Hanoi on November 20.
The funds will be used to conduct a project on HIV/AIDS from 2015-17 in 15 provinces and cities across the country including Thai Nguyen, Hanoi, Hai Duong, Nghe An, Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai.
Dang Vu Minh, chairman of the VUSTA, said that the project would have three goals.
The first goal is to supply HIV/AIDS prevention services to those at high risk of HIV. It is expected that by 2017, more than 26,000 homosexuals, nearly 45,000 heroin addicts and more than 10,000 sex workers will receive the services.
The second goal is creating good conditions for the community to take part in HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities effectively and sustainably.
The last goal is create good legal conditions for people at high risk of HIV to access health care services.
Addressing the conference, Kristan Schoultz, director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), said that although Vietnam had expanded it's methadone treatment programme, the country did not reach the target of treating 80,000 heroin addicts with methadone by this year.
Many heroin addicts needed safe needles because they could not access the methadone treatment programme, she said.
The VUSTA's new project would help people at high risk of HIV access preventive tools which they needed, Schoultz said.
She added that the new project would call for society to reduce discrimination of those with HIV.
(Source: VNS)
