Lai Chau - Unwearying footsteps...

SKĐS - The medical team of the Lai Chau Provincial Center for Disease Control continues to persevere, traversing mountains and forests to bring knowledge about HIV/AIDS to the local people...

Lai Chau is one of the northern mountainous border provinces with a high rate of HIV/AIDS infection, mainly among male injecting drug users, and is spreading to remote and rural communes. The province currently has 1,527 living HIV-infected individuals, scattered across 38 communes and wards.

Lai Châu has a particularly rugged terrain, with over 90% of its area consisting of high mountains and steep hills, and 84.6% of its population being ethnic minorities. Villages are scattered, and transportation is difficult, especially during the rainy season. Population mobility, language barriers, and a gap in understanding create a double challenge, making access to healthcare services even more difficult.

However, the medical team of the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Department - Lai Chau Provincial Center for Disease Control (CDC) persevered, traversing mountains and forests to bring knowledge about HIV/AIDS to every village and every person.

Currently, with 18 staff members (including 6 doctors, 11 nurses, and 1 medical assistant), the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Department is actively providing care and treatment for HIV/AIDS patients at 8 outpatient clinics in the province and at locations in communes. Furthermore, the medical staff here have brought HIV testing and antiretroviral (ARV) treatment directly to remote villages. The department also manages 1,894 out of 2,100 patients receiving Methadone treatment at 8 facilities and 31 dispensing points throughout the province, of which 1,157 patients receive medication for multiple days to reduce the frequency of visits to the facility, especially for those living in remote mountainous areas.

Every day, the Lai Chau Provincial Methadone Treatment Center dispenses medication to 45 patients. For them, this is not just a dose of medicine, but an opportunity to start anew, to leave the past behind and look towards a better future.

The department regularly organizes counseling sessions and health care guidance for people taking methadone and those infected with HIV. Many people come here not only to receive medication but also to regain their faith in life. Perhaps this is not just a health counseling session, but also a place to help patients overcome feelings of shame and gain more motivation to continue treatment.

The majority of patients receiving ARV and Methadone treatment here adhere to regular follow-up appointments. These follow-up visits help healthcare staff assess the effectiveness of medication, adjust treatment regimens promptly, and ultimately achieve the best possible treatment outcomes. ( Photo: Regular check-ups and ARV medication dispensing for patients at the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Department, Lai Chau CDC)

In addition to treatment at the facility, the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Department regularly organizes mobile HIV counseling and testing in remote and rural communes. Each trip is a journey of patient explanation, alleviating fear and stigma, and helping people understand HIV correctly. As a result, people gradually trust and proactively participate in testing. These mobile testing sessions have detected many new infections in a timely manner, helping patients start treatment early and reducing the risk of transmission in the community. (Photo: Mobile HIV counseling and testing in Si Lo Lau commune, Lai Chau)

Since 2021, Lai Chau has been one of the provinces participating in the multi-day Methadone dispensing program, helping patients from remote areas reduce the burden of travel. To ensure the program's effectiveness and safety, healthcare workers from the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Department regularly conduct unannounced inspections, instruct patients on proper medication storage and usage, and prevent drug loss. To date, hundreds of patients have maintained stable treatment, reducing relapse rates... (Photo: Unannounced Methadone treatment monitoring in Tan Phong ward, Lai Chau)

Doctors from the Department regularly trek through mountains and forests to reach people in particularly difficult communes such as Pa Ủ and Tà Tổng… to support HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, guide prevention, treatment, and healthcare. Each trip is a journey carrying medicine, knowledge, and renewed hope for people in remote mountainous areas. (Photo: HIV/AIDS awareness campaign and Methadone initiation in Pa Ủ commune, Lai Châu)

Mr. Vay Van D. (Tan Phong, Lai Chau) contracted HIV in 2012. He once thought his life was over. But thanks to the medical staff at the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Department (Lai Chau CDC) who advised and guided him on ARV treatment, his health has stabilized. From a person in despair, the VAC (integrated farming) model he developed has now brought him income, helping him support himself and his family significantly. Mr. D.'s story is a testament that people infected with HIV, when adhering to ARV treatment, can absolutely live healthy lives and work like everyone else.

Medical staff from the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Department (CDC Lai Chau) continue to brave the sun and rain to bring medication and knowledge about HIV/AIDS to the most remote villages. Their tireless efforts overcome all doubts, stigma, and language barriers… persistently delivering healthcare services to the most inaccessible areas, ensuring that no one is left behind in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

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Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/lai-chau-nhung-buoc-chan-khong-moi-169251119153847258.htm