M For M shop located in HCM City’s Tan Phu district, one of the first six shops with health services for HIV prevention and treatment, is being piloted under the community one-stop-shop model called DOME. (Photo courtesy of LIFE)Phan Thi Thu Huong, head of the Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDS Control(VAAC), said that at a workshop on reviewing the PrEP programme for HIVprevention held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 26.
Since 2017, providing PrEP service has been expanded in 29 provinces and citiesacross the country, with 206 PrEP service providers, of which 49 are private.
About 80 per cent of the people using PrEP in the country are men having sexwith men (MSM). And 7% of PrEP customers are young people aged 20-34.
“This is considered as one of the effective measures to help curb the increasein HIV/AIDS infections in the MSM community,” she said.
Many models and initiatives in consulting, approaching, introducing andproviding PrEP services have been deployed across the country such as PrEPprovided directly at public health facilities and public outpatient and privateclinics, one-stop shop health services, and mobile PrEP services.
“Diversified models make conveniences in access to use the service, especiallyfor young customers, helping to reduce stigma and discrimination towards peopleliving with HIV,” she said.
They are also providing comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention services, especiallyto vulnerable and high-risk groups, contributing to the control goals outlinedin the National Strategy to End AIDS by 2030, she said.
The strategy aims to boost coverage of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatmentservices for key population groups, and have 72,000 customers receiving PrEPservices by the end of 2025.
However, there are still shortcomings and difficulties that require moredrastic solutions in the coming time, she said.
Among them, raising awareness about PrEP among target groups, and openingservices in provinces and cities with high infection rates among MSM areneeded.
It also needs to create better connections between community-basedorganisations and PrEP providers.
Recently, the remote PrEP service delivery model (Tele PrEP) has been approvedby the Ministry of Health to be piloted in 20 health facilities in sevenprovinces and cities.
Towards providing fast and convenient services, Tele PrEP is appropriate andconfidential for customers at high risk of HIV infection, especially youngcustomers.
It also opens up opportunities to access PrEP services for customers living andworking in provinces without PrEP providers.
According to VAAC, the number of new HIV infections is increasing among MSM.Every year there are about 10,000 - 13,000 new HIV cases, mainly young peopleaged 20 to under 40.
Research results of Hanoi Medical University showed that if there is noprevention measure, seven out of 100 people who are MSM will be infected withHIV each year./.
VNA
