HCM City(VNS/VNA) - More than 15,000 factory workers at high risk of HIV infection haveaccess to HIV prevention and treatment services through an HIV preventionintervention model called SAFE-ZONE, according to the Vietnam Administrationfor HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC).

Speaking at a recentworkshop held in Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Thi Minh Tam, head of VAAC’s Department ofHIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, said the model is being piloted at fourfactories in Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province and has seen positiveresults.

It has provided HIVtesting and counseling services for 350 workers, connected more than 60 caseswith pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs, and transferred 11 cases to ARV toreceive anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment at health facilities.

“The results showed theeffectiveness of this model. The model’s implementation steps are very clearand easy to measure and apply,” she said.

So any locality that hasmany industrial parks and factories with a network of community-basedorganisations providing available HIV/AIDS services can consider conductingthis model, she said.

The model is aninitiative of the Centre for Promotion of Quality of Life (LIFE) andcommunity-based organisations (CBOs), contributing to helping the healthcaresector to achieve the national goal of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030.

Nguyen Nguyen Nhu Trang,director of LIFE, said this model was built in the context of increasing thenumber of HIV infection cases detected among factory workers.

The model updates andprovides the factory workers information and knowledge about sexual health, HIVprevention, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It also helps connectthem to private HIV testing and treatment services provided by CBOs, she said.

The following is themodel’s five-step implementation:

Step 1: Contact thefactory

Actively contact to askfor a meeting with representatives of the factory in the area identified byhealth authorities with an increasing number of HIV infections.

The purpose of themeeting is to present the HIV situation in the locality, identify needs, agreeon a cooperation method and develop a communication plan on HIV prevention andtreatment services for factory workers.

Step 2: Survey workersin the factory

Conduct a survey onknowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) about HIV and other STDs among factoryworkers to design appropriate communication programmes.

Step 3: 'Passive'Communication

Implement passivecommunication programmes such as putting up posters, providing leaflets with QRcodes, posting articles on the factory's information page and Zalo group, andmake media products that attract workers' attention on YouTube and Tiktok.

Step 4: Activecommunication

Coordinate with thefactory to implement on-site communication programmes to attract the directparticipation of workers such as events, seminars and creative worker contests.These activities are carried out in a dynamic style, combined with distributionof items such as condoms, lube and self-testing products.

Introduce to the workers“CBO Around U” page to connect with CBOs, and the D-Health app to proactivelycontact the nearest CBO.

Step 5: Consult, testand transfer

CBOs or the communityone-stop-shop health service (DOME) stores will actively contact or receiveinformation directly from customers through the website, phone or via theD-Health app to provide screening tests and consulting, and connect thecustomers to appropriate health facilities.

Since 2008, LIFE hasconducted a programme to improve the quality of life for factory workers in 34provinces and cities nationwide.

The programme hassupported 300,000 workers in 150 factories with issues relating to protectinglegitimate rights, providing workplace safety and better health care, genderequality, improving skills for financial management, and personal development./.