Additional USD26 million to boost Vietnam's sustainable HIV/AIDS response

Implemented by FHI 360 until 2021, the Sustainable HIV Response from Technical Assistance (SHIFT) project, will strengthen nation’s human, organizational, and systems capacity to lead the national HIV and AIDS response.

“The USD26 million-project will scale up services along the entire HIV care continuum from diagnosis to successful treatment in high HIV burden provinces to achieve “90-90-90” HIV case-finding, care, and treatment targets. It will also provide demand-driven technical assistance at the national, provincial and local levels to build sustainable HIV/AIDS services and systems”, said USAID Vietnam Mission Director, Mr Michael Greene, who assumed the post last week.

As of 2016, there were an estimated 260,000 people living with HIV in Vietnam. In recent years, new cases of HIV have declined. In 2014, Vietnam was the first country in Asia to adopt the 90-90-90 targets set by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), under which: by 2020, 90% of people living with HIV will know their HIV status; 90% of people who know their status are on HIV treatment; and 90% of all people on treatment will have undetectable levels of HIV in their body (known as viral suppression).

In the mid-1990s, USAID first supported HIV/AIDS programs in Vietnam. In June 2004, HIV/AIDS assistance to the nation significantly increased under the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). As a result, USAID works closely with other US Government agencies and the Government of Vietnam at the national, provincial, and district levels to support the goals of the national HIV/AIDS strategy.

Last year alone, PEPFAR assistance provided HIV tests to over 375,000 people and methadone replacement therapy to almost 25,000 people./.