Strengthened Supply Chain for HIV/AIDS Medicines and Supplies Contributes to Vietnam’s Sustainable HIV/AIDS Response

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Since 2006, the USAID Supply Chain Management System (SCMS) Project has worked with the Vietnam’s Ministry of Health to improve the national HIV/AIDS response by providing a reliable, cost effective and secure supply of medicines. The procurement of approximately 274,000 liters of methadone under the project over the last 10 years has helped treat 15,000 patients in 51 PEPFAR-supported methadone clinics. Additionally, Vietnam’s international buying capacity built with the project support has helped significantly lower the average cost of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment per patient per year (from approximately $1,200 USD in 2006 to below $200 USD in 2015), and more than 53,000 patients, both adult and pediatric, were receiving antiretroviral therapy by December 2015 –  a 10-fold increase over 5,000 patients who were receiving antiretroviral therapy with support from the project in 2006.  The project’s 10-year anniversary ceremony was held on August 5th in Hanoi to review its contributions to saving lives through a stronger supply chain system.  Representatives from the Vietnam Authority of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) and Provincial AIDS Centers in PEPFAR-supported provinces, as well as USAID/Vietnam, the PEPFAR Coordination Office, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and selected international NGOs participated in the review.