(VOV) – Vietnam hopes the US President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will continue providing resources, including technical assistance, to HIV/AIDS prevention in Vietnam to make it more effective.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc made the proposal in a meeting with PAPFAR leaders in Washington DC on August 21 (local time).
Phuc, who is also chairman of the Vietnam National Committee for HIV/AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Prevention and Control, said as Vietnam is becoming a middle-income nation, aid for HIV/AIDS prevention is decreasing, affecting treatment for AIDS patients and drug users under the Methadone therapy.
However, Phuc voiced the Vietnamese government’s commitment to maintaining its existing HIV/AIDS prevention programme by increasing budget, mobilising social engagement, and optimising resources for the fight in Vietnam.
Vietnam has formulated an important legal corridor for combating the disease, including promulgating an AIDS prevention law, devising a national strategy for HIV/AIDS prevention, and issuing a decree on treating drug users with alternative medicines.
Phuc appreciated PEPFAR’s assistance for HIV/AIDS prevention in Vietnam, saying the US programme is currently the biggest aid donor for the fight in Vietnam. More than 70% of the patients are benefitting from a PEPFAR-funded Methadone treatment project.
Deborah von Zinkernagel, Principal Deputy Global AIDS Coordinator, confirmed that her organisation – the Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator – will provide continued support for Vietnam’s AIDS prevention efforts.
The office leads implementation of the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
Deputy PM Phuc is visiting the US from August 21-30 to attend Vietnam’s Advanced Management and Leadership Program at Harvard University.
Đăng ký: VietNam News
