The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has helped more than 5,000 people in Vietnam get access to HIV-related legal assistance services over the past five years, according to a report at a meeting in Hanoi Aug 14 to review the organization’s funded project on the HIV response. The “Health Policy Initiative” has enhanced the HIV response by facilitating policy development and performance, enhancing public sector and civil society leaders and networks, and ensuring the date use for decision-making. It has helped in amending and promulgating 13 HIV/AIDS policies and regulations as well as trained 65 self-help groups of HIV-positive individuals to improve their management capacity. “We have worked closely with the Vietnamese government in designing policies related to HIV in order to better cope with the pandemic,” said Director of the USAID Joakim Parker. He added the challenge is how to create a long-term policy environment to provide healthcare services to those living with HIV. The five-year project was carried out under the auspices of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). The U.S. government, via the PEPFAR, has funded over $500 million for Vietnam since 2005 to prevent the HIV spread in the country and offer medical cares to people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. (Cong An Nhan Dan – People’s Police Aug 14, vietnamplus.vn Aug 14)
