The Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) under the Ministry of Health (MoH) has unveiled a plan to pilot the community-based HIV testing and counseling programme from 2015 to 2017.
Health worker collects blood sample from a patient in Ninh Binh province. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - The Vietnam Adminisജtration of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC𓃲) under the Ministry of Health (MoH) has unveiled a plan to pilot the community-based HIV testing and counseling programme from 2015 to 2017.
The programme, from the fourth quarter of 2015 to the end of the third quarter of 2017, will be firstly implemented in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Dien Bien, Nghe An, and Thanh Hoa provinces to study the feasibility of community-based HIV testing models.
Its goals are to increase uptake of HIV testing among at-risk individuals who may not have access to health services or hard-to-reach groups and develop a guideline for proper HIV testing and counseling in community settings.
The ministry will provide training for non-specialist health workers and adopt a mechanism for coordination between community-based organisations and clinics that perform HIV confirmatory tests and those offering antiretroviral (ARV) treatment.
A system for monitoring and evaluating the non-clinical HIV testing results will also be launched.
Three rapid HIV testing models in community settings will be introduced under the programme, including mobile HIV testing and counseling, HIV testing and counseling at rural healthcare units and at community-based organisations.
According to the VAAC, Vietnam has had about 227,000 people living with HIV and more than 76,000 HIV carriers have died by the end of July this year.
The country is home to over 1,100 HIV testing and counseling units and 98 laboratories that perform HIV confirmatory tests where around 2 million samples are collected annually.
It is estimated that about 200,000 people living with HIV are aware of their status while the remaining stay unaware, posing high risks of HIV transmission in society.-VNA
Community-based organisations working with HIV/AIDS patients have sought support from local enterprises as funds from international aid for HIV/AIDS prevention will continue to fall.
Discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS in families, work places and health care establishments is hindering Vietnam’s HIV/AIDS prevention efforts.
Health insurance will step in to replace international provisions of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs used to treat HIV by 2017, according to an official from the Vietnam Social Insurance Fund (VSIF).
All drugs entering hospitals must have a clear origin, so counterfeit drugs are only in the market, not in hospital, affirmed Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.
To achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2045, Vietnam is prioritising the integration of AI and digital tools into the training of future doctors, said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dean of Medicine at University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University (VNU) Hanoi.
Health experts called for collective disease prevention and integrated solutions to achieve zero dengue deaths in the country at an online talk show on June 14.
The PM called for closer, broader, and more effective cooperation with Vietnamese partners, guided by the principles of mutual benefit, joint efforts, shared outcomes, and common development, including promoting stronger public-private partnerships and collaboration with businesses.
Renowned for its expertise in complex surgeries, the hospital has attracted foreign patients seeking treatment for conditions such as kidney and urinary tract stones, urological and gastrointestinal cancers, and male reproductive disorders. Most procedures are performed using advanced techniques, including laparoscopy and robotic surgery. T
Leading Vietnamese companies specialising in respiratory and dermatological treatments, traditional medicine, immune support supplements, and functional foods will have an opportunity to connect with international distributors and secure export deals.
The project aimed to enable early detection and reduce the risk of dangerous complications, targeting patients with chronic diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and metabolic disorders.
A 2023 report by the Vietnam Health Economics Association estimated that the total cost of tobacco-related healthcare and economic losses reached 108 trillion VND (4.14 billion USD) annually – equivalent to 1.14% of GDP and five times higher than the budget revenue generated by the tobacco industry.
All eligible patients will receive surgical interventions and post-operative care in accordance with Vietnamese medical standards and global care protocols.
Medical screenings and surgical interventions for children with disabilities are being carried out at health centers across Dien Bien. So far this year, 242 children have been identified for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and the provision of assistive devices.
The Red Journey has become the country’s largest and most effective blood donation campaign, leaving a strong impression on the national voluntary blood donation movement.
This case marks the ninth fetal cardiac intervention conducted in HCM City, and it was considered the most technically demanding to date due to the fetus’s extremely early gestational age and the severity of the condition as diagnosed with aortic atresia.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Vietnam’s traditional medicine took centre stage at the International Congress Biopharm Nonclinical Development, BioNCiD 2025, held on May 25-26 in the Cuban city of Varadero, amid growing global interest in sustainable healthcare solutions.
Under the agreement, VNVC and Sanofi will gradually implement technology transfers to enable domestic production of several key Sanofi vaccines that are widely used in Vietnam. In addition, Sanofi will support VNVC in training human resources and quality management in vaccine research and manufacturing.
According to the World Health Organisation, more than 25,000 COVID-19 cases have been recorded globally over the past month. Notably, from January 1 to May 10, Thailand reported nearly 54,000 infections and 16 deaths. The rise in cases in Thailand has been linked to the spread of XBB.1.16 subvariant.
Recently, HCM City has experienced a noticeable increase in COVID-19 cases, with 26 reported in just one week, compared to an average of only 1-2 cases weekly earlier this year.
Health worker collects blood sample from a patient in Ninh Binh province. (Photo: VNA)
