Review of Community-based HIV Testing and Counseling

These HIV testing services were piloted by the Vietnam Administration for AIDS Control (VAAC), the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Healthy Markets project, and has been implemented by PATH, and WHO in six provinces namely Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Dien Bien, Nghe An, ThanhHoa and Thai Nguyen since August 2015.

This workshop also aimed at disseminating WHO guidelines on HIV self-testing and partner notification and discussing next steps for HIV lay and self-testing in Viet Nam.

Since October 2015, the Healthy Markets project has collaborated with Provincial AIDS Committees to train 235 lay providers—people without a formal medical education—to offer quality HIV testing using a single rapid diagnostic test kit.

The government of Viet Nam has committed to the global 90-90-90 targets towards ending the HIV epidemic. Although Vietnam has seen a lot of people newly diagnosed of an HIV infection over recent years, there is a concerningly low annual uptake of HIV testing among key populations.

Global experience has demonstrated that community-based HIV testing models are successful in increasing testing uptake. 2015 consolidated WHO guidelines on HIV testing services included a new and strong recommendation to permit trained lay providers to provide HIV testing services, noting the safety and effectiveness of this approach.

It is recognized that testing services offered by people in the community who are trusted by their peers can improve the uptake of HIV testing among at risk populations.