Vietnam-US joint project aids HIV/AIDS control in Thanh Hoa

The information was released at a conference held by the provincial People’s Committee on December 4 to review the VAAC-US.CDC, a collaboration between the Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fight HIV/AIDS in Vietnam.

As heard at the function, during 2013-2018, the project has helped 63,541 people be tested for HIV, or 82% of total residents taking the test. It has also assisted 12 out of 29 outpatient clinics in providing antiretroviral (ARV) therapy.

Since 2016, Thanh Hoa has been among the first five provinces nationwide receiving the VAAC-US.CDC support in realising the 90-90-90 goal – 90% of local HIV carriers aware of their health conditions, 90% of people diagnosed with HIV take continuous ARV therapy and 90% of ARV patients have low and stable virus levels. As a result, the province has completed the second 90% goal with 3,814 out of 4,128 HIV patients receiving ARV treatment, and surpassed the final 90% target.

The project has helped Thanh Hoa keep the local rate of people with HIV at below 0.12%, lower than the national average.

Speaking at the conference, Paula Morgan, Deputy Country Director of the CDC Vietnam Office, said the VAAC-US.CDC will provide the province VND4.04 billion (US$172,631) in aid for 2019.

The assistance is expected to benefit residents across 27 districts, towns and cities, she added.

Since detecting its first HIV case in 1995, Thanh Hoa recorded more than 8,000 cases as of November 2018, with 2,000 people dead due to the disease.