According to the provincial Center for Disease Control, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ca Mau is still complicated. The rate of HIV infection in the same sex group (MSM) has increased rapidly in recent years with a high rate of acute infection. In some districts, the number of HIV-infected people detected every year tends to increase, especially in the coastal district. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is at risk and tends to return if adequate investment is not paid to implement strong and effective interventions. At the same time, prevention and treatment are still difficult.
HIV/AIDS is currently a public health problem, still one of the disease burdens in Vietnam. The cumulative number of HIV+ continues to increase, over 3 infected people are in need of regular, continuous and lifelong care and treatment. Every year, there are still over 300 new HIV+ and over 500 HIV/AIDS deaths, causing great impacts on health, economy and society.
 |
| The delegation of the American AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) conducted a field survey at Ca Mau Provincial General Hospital. |
Ms. Truong Kim Ut, Deputy Head of HIV/AIDS Prevention Department, Provincial Center for Disease Control, said: “Access to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services of high-risk groups is still limited. . Currently, in the province, there are only 5 outpatient HIV/AIDS treatment facilities (4 hospitals and 1 prison). The unique characteristics of HIV/AIDS patients are lifelong care and treatment. Currently, the province is treating 1.772 HIV/AIDS patients and more than 200 patients with Methadone. However, the needs of patients for care and treatment are still very large while most of the human resources have to work part-time, investment resources for HIV/AIDS prevention and control are decreasing day by day, causing difficulties for patients. implementation”.
Along with that, the HIV/AIDS prevention and control system from the province to the communes, wards and townships has been consolidated and consolidated, but there are always changes in personnel; capacity in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and control of officials participating in the program at the district and commune and ward levels is still limited, there is no real full-time staff for the district level.
The province's funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and control in the period 2015-2020 depends heavily on international aid. In recent years, the main source of aid funding has come from the Global Fund project. The financial resources in the province have not yet met enough funding for key activities, the risk of serious shortage if the project stops supporting. Health insurance has paid for HIV/AIDS treatment, but activities in the fields of testing, communication, harm reduction interventions, HIV infection prevention, HIV/AIDS epidemic surveillance are still based on In aid, there is no sustainable financial mechanism in the province for these areas.
Regarding HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities in Ca Mau, recently, the American AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) had a working trip to Ca Mau. Within the framework of the expansion of the project to support HIV/AIDS care and treatment in Vietnam for the period of 2023-2027, AHF plans to support the HIV/AIDS testing and treatment program in Ca Mau in the coming time.
Kieu Thanh Binh, Care and Treatment Coordinator (AHF Vietnam), said: “The overall goal of this expansion project is to step up HIV/AIDS testing and treatment activities to improve HIV/AIDS testing and treatment. reduce the number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths, and end the AIDS epidemic in Vietnam by 2030″.
Specifically in Ca Mau, the project will be implemented to support the locality with many important activities. In which, support for HIV testing, counseling and ARV treatment services at Ca Mau Provincial General Hospital/City and Cai Tau Prison in order to enhance detection of new HIV infections and switch to ART; supporting periodic medical examination for patients and monitoring their health status, treating opportunistic infections and providing preventive treatment for patients at the clinic of the Provincial General Hospital/Ca Mau City and Cai Tau Detention Center; implemented campaigns to distribute free condoms and mobile HIV testing in the community.
Besides, when the project is implemented in Ca Mau, it will create all conditions to support necessary equipment for testing, medical examination and treatment, data storage, patient management on software. … At the same time, AHF will agree to guide the process of management and use of therapeutic drugs with the desire to improve the quality of HIV/AIDS management and treatment in the locality./.
Van Dum
