"An extended arm" in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Online counseling via social media, community-based HIV testing support, connecting people with ARV treatment, and helping those who have dropped out of treatment return to healthcare facilities are some of the tasks being carried out by many community-based organizations (CBOs) in various localities. In the context of HIV/AIDS becoming increasingly difficult to access through traditional methods, community groups are becoming a crucial support force for the grassroots HIV/AIDS prevention and control system.

People who seek out and connect with HIV patients.

Since working as a community outreach worker and later becoming the leader of the Seed CBO group in Binh Duong (now part of Ho Chi Minh City after the merger), Nguyen Van Thanh has become accustomed to late-night calls. This is often the time when many people at high risk of HIV infection, especially men who have sex with men (MSM), begin to share their concerns after engaging in unsafe behaviors.

CBO Seed reaches customers through social media and applications such as Blued, Facebook, Zalo, and TikTok; while also providing counseling, connecting them with HIV testing, ARV treatment, and the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Speaking to the press, Mr. Thanh said that on average, the group detects about 6 HIV-positive cases each month and refers about 10 cases for PrEP use.

Mr. Nguyen Cao Thanh, Head of the Seed CBO Group. (Photo: VNA)

The working environment for community groups today is also different from before. Instead of waiting for at-risk individuals to seek medical help, many outreach workers have to "go find" clients on social media, dating apps, or private groups – where young people, migrant workers, or MSM often connect with each other.

The "Stepping into the Light" project, implemented by the Seed CBO group since 2022, has organized numerous communication activities for students and young people in Ho Chi Minh City. Following these communication sessions, many people proactively sought information about PrEP, HIV testing, and preventive treatment.

Many people only seek support when they are experiencing prolonged stress or begin to show unusual health symptoms. According to community groups, the biggest challenge today is not necessarily the lack of healthcare services, but rather getting at-risk individuals to overcome their fear of judgment and seek testing or treatment.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that in 2024 alone, more than 13,300 new HIV infections were detected nationwide. HIV/AIDS is no longer concentrated mainly in a few groups as in the early stages, but is appearing more frequently in closed groups, hard-to-reach groups, or those primarily active online.

This makes mass media outreach or waiting for people to seek medical care on their own less effective than before. Meanwhile, community groups have the advantage of proximity, information confidentiality, and understanding the psychology of at-risk groups.

Many tasks traditionally considered part of the healthcare system are now also involving this workforce: HIV testing counseling, connecting patients to ARV treatment, supporting PrEP use, identifying and encouraging patients who have dropped out of treatment to return to healthcare facilities, or supporting harm reduction interventions.

According to estimates by the Department of Disease Prevention, community organizations could contribute 25-50% to some HIV/AIDS prevention and control services in Vietnam.

Procurement of HIV/AIDS prevention and control services from social organizations.

In Dien Bien , the role of community groups is clearly demonstrated through the pilot model of procuring HIV/AIDS prevention and control services provided by social organizations.

According to the Department of Disease Prevention, Dien Bien is one of nine provinces participating in a pilot project to procure HIV/AIDS prevention and control services from social organizations from June 2022 to November 2023. The Dien Bien Provincial Center for Disease Control (CDC Dien Bien) has signed contracts with three CBO groups, namely Hoa Ban Trang, Huong Duong, and Binh Minh, to implement the provision of HIV/AIDS prevention and control services throughout the province.

Providing HIV treatment counseling to patients. (Photo: KT)

These groups are involved in community outreach, communication, and HIV testing counseling in the community; distributing harm reduction intervention items such as clean syringes, condoms, and lubricants; and referring people in need to access Methadone treatment, confirmatory HIV testing, and ARV treatment. The target groups reached include injecting drug users, sex workers, men who have sex with men, and partners of people living with HIV or injecting drug users.

According to the report presented at the project's concluding workshop, as of November 2023, Dien Bien province had a cumulative total of 7,775 people infected with HIV, of which 3,399 were still alive; 121 out of 129 communes, wards, and towns had people infected with HIV/AIDS. This is also a key province for drug abuse and HIV/AIDS.

Previously, most community groups relied on short-term funding projects. Once the projects ended, many groups had to fend for themselves to maintain manpower and support activities in their areas. The pilot program for procuring HIV/AIDS prevention and control services provided by social organizations demonstrates a changing approach: communities are no longer outside the support network but are beginning to participate directly in the service delivery process at the grassroots level.

With many international aid sources for HIV/AIDS shrinking, mobilizing additional community resources is essential to alleviate pressure on primary healthcare and expand access to at-risk groups.

However, the implementation process also revealed numerous difficulties. According to the Dien Bien CDC report, many community groups lacked legal status, had limited management capacity, and did not have regular revenue sources to sustain operations; accessing target groups and gathering customer information also faced many obstacles.

Experts suggest that for community groups to play a lasting role, more stable financial mechanisms are needed for proven effective activities such as reaching at-risk groups, HIV testing and counseling, and referral for ARV and PrEP treatment. This should be coupled with increased skills training, standardized information confidentiality procedures, closer connections with primary healthcare, and continued reduction of stigma in accessing HIV/AIDS services.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/canh-tay-noi-dai-trong-phong-chong-hivaids-221723.html