Vietnamese Provinces Improve the Efficiency and Effectiveness of HIV Treatment Services with USAID Assistance

Friday, August 18, 2017

HIV treatment regimens continuously evolve as new medications, safety information, and evidence of effectiveness emerge. As a result, it is critical to continuously evaluate data on antiretroviral (ARV) drug availability, utilization, and patient adherence to maintain and improve the effectiveness of Vietnam’s response to HIV. In collaboration with the Vietnam Authority for AIDS Control (VAAC), the USAID Sustainable HIV Response from Technical Assistance (SHIFT) Project assisted HIV treatment providers in seven Vietnamese provinces (An Giang, Nghe An, Bac Giang, Ha Noi, Thai Binh, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City) to prepare and counsel patients, evaluate needs, and develop plans to move approximately 4,000 patients to a new ARV regimen (TDF/3TC/EFV) by September 2017. This new ARV regimen which only needs to be taken once a day, will contribute to better treatment outcomes. So what?  By systematically reviewing and providing information on new ARV drugs, health care providers will not only improve HIV treatment outcomes but also better plan future ARV procurements financed through the Government of Vietnam’s Social Health Insurance Fund.