Six US-financed HIV/AIDS programmes launched

Original Source Hanoi (VNA) The US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Vietnam will provide a total amount of 1.4 million USD as aid for six HIV/AIDS programmes in the country, the US Embassy said on July 1. The programmes will be carried out within the framework of three initiatives to scale up the assistance to HIV carriers and vulnerable persons. The first initiative is designed to finance international and Vietnamese non-governmental organisations to increase the community-based care for and assistance to HIV carriers, orphans and people affected by the disease. The programmes under this initiative will be carried out in central Nghe An province, and northern Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city from now to September 2009. The second initiative is to assist the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training’s programmes related to education on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS for secondary school students. The programmes will be carried out by the Save the Children USA in Ho Chi Minh City , northern Quang Ninh province and central Quang Tri province up to September 2010. The remaining initiative, aiming to increase scale and quality for health care services for Vietnamese women with HIV/AIDS, will be implemented in Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh cities till September 2009. The PEPFAR in Vietnam focuses on preventing HIV/AIDS spreading and giving care, medical treatment and assistance to HIV/AIDS carriers. The plan allocates a budget of 88 million USD for its activities in Vietnam within the fiscal year of 2008.