Viet Nam: Voluntary HIV testing project launched
April 27, 2006, Viet Nam News Service
HA NOI — HIV voluntary counselling and testing (HIV/VCT) plays an important role in the prevention of HIV/AIDS, said Nguyen Huy Nga, director of the Health Ministry’s HIV/AIDS Department, at the signing ceremony for the Mekong Regional HIV/VCT Project in the capital.
Since Viet Nam still experienced discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients, the project is all the more important, the director said, promising his department’s support for the project being carried out by Marie Stopes International Viet Nam (MSIVN).
Lauding the HIV/VCT work done earlier by MSIVN and their experience in treating patients, Dr Nguyen Duc Anh said, "Our patients feel more comfortable and face no discrimination at MSIVN’s HIV/VCT programme."
Other than HIV/VCT, MSIVN’s clinic also provides other services such as reproductive health counselling and treatment, benefiting female patients, the doctor said.Anh added that sex workers, especially those working the streets, required this service more as they travel frequently and have no other facility to check for HIV/AIDS and treatment.
Such clients, who have the potential for spreading the disease, would find the clinics safe.Dr Om Chhorvoin, the project’s regional director, said they would carry out the service not only at the MSIVN but also in other clinics to serve the clients.
Together with China and Indonesia, Viet Nam is a nation with a high growth rate of people having HIV/AIDS among groups such as addicts, prostitutes and homosexuals.
According to Viet Nam’s Department of HIV/AIDS, there are over 100,000 people having HIV/AIDS, including more than 17,000 AIDS patients and 13,000 newly-infected cases.
Nga said though Viet Nam had reported a reduction in newly-infected cases from 17,000 in 2002 to 13,000 in 2005, the country was still at risk if no effective control was in place.
Relevant agencies could not even update the count of HIV/AIDS patients in Viet Nam as many were not aware if they were carrying the disease, rendering the fight against the dreaded disease more complex, Nga said. "Our current figure may represent only one third of the real patients," he said.
The MSIVN clinic would remove the inhibitions of patients who refuse to go to specialised HIV/AIDS testing centres for the fear of being discriminated.With three years experience in this service, MSIVN have pledged to provide their patients with friendly, helpful, high quality, safe and secure service. Furthermore, the project aims to increase awareness among the public about HIV/AIDS.
Nguyen Bich Hang, director of MSIVN, asked domestic and international agencies and organisations to support the project and the fight against HIV/AIDS. — VNS
Source: Viet Nam News Service Online
HA NOI — HIV voluntary counselling and testing (HIV/VCT) plays an important role in the prevention of HIV/AIDS, said Nguyen Huy Nga, director of the Health Ministry’s HIV/AIDS Department, at the signing ceremony for the Mekong Regional HIV/VCT Project in the capital.
Since Viet Nam still experienced discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients, the project is all the more important, the director said, promising his department’s support for the project being carried out by Marie Stopes International Viet Nam (MSIVN).
Lauding the HIV/VCT work done earlier by MSIVN and their experience in treating patients, Dr Nguyen Duc Anh said, "Our patients feel more comfortable and face no discrimination at MSIVN’s HIV/VCT programme."
Other than HIV/VCT, MSIVN’s clinic also provides other services such as reproductive health counselling and treatment, benefiting female patients, the doctor said.Anh added that sex workers, especially those working the streets, required this service more as they travel frequently and have no other facility to check for HIV/AIDS and treatment.
Such clients, who have the potential for spreading the disease, would find the clinics safe.Dr Om Chhorvoin, the project’s regional director, said they would carry out the service not only at the MSIVN but also in other clinics to serve the clients.
Together with China and Indonesia, Viet Nam is a nation with a high growth rate of people having HIV/AIDS among groups such as addicts, prostitutes and homosexuals.
According to Viet Nam’s Department of HIV/AIDS, there are over 100,000 people having HIV/AIDS, including more than 17,000 AIDS patients and 13,000 newly-infected cases.
Nga said though Viet Nam had reported a reduction in newly-infected cases from 17,000 in 2002 to 13,000 in 2005, the country was still at risk if no effective control was in place.
Relevant agencies could not even update the count of HIV/AIDS patients in Viet Nam as many were not aware if they were carrying the disease, rendering the fight against the dreaded disease more complex, Nga said. "Our current figure may represent only one third of the real patients," he said.
The MSIVN clinic would remove the inhibitions of patients who refuse to go to specialised HIV/AIDS testing centres for the fear of being discriminated.With three years experience in this service, MSIVN have pledged to provide their patients with friendly, helpful, high quality, safe and secure service. Furthermore, the project aims to increase awareness among the public about HIV/AIDS.
Nguyen Bich Hang, director of MSIVN, asked domestic and international agencies and organisations to support the project and the fight against HIV/AIDS. — VNS
Source: Viet Nam News Service Online
posted by AIDS-Care-Watch at 9:41 am
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