The application of the harm reduction model in the late 1990s in Vietnam has yielded positive results, especially those supported by the national HIV prevention strategy, including a) education on HIV prevention and control. HIV prevention and control b) condom use c) alternatives d) needle exchange program.
HIV education has increased dramatically
Through statistics from studies show the need for an extensive education campaign. A 2003 study in Bac Ninh province (east of Hanoi) found that 42.8% of all male smokers were HIV-positive, of which 96.9% did not know their status before the study. General HIV education in Vietnam has increased dramatically since the early 2000s. By 2006, 35.4% of female sex workers and 37.6% of male smokers in seven provinces were able to identify prevention methods. combat HIV transmission through sex and dispel misconceptions about HIV transmission. The same is 54.9% for homosexual partners in the two provinces. These percentages have grown as high as 2009, with 51.5% of female sex workers, 49.2% of smokers and 60.3% of gay men in the above provinces being able to correctly answer similar questions. on one's own.
The national campaign to increase the use of condoms during sex also contributes to reducing the rate of HIV transmission among smokers. Among female sex workers in Da Nang in 2001, consistent use of condoms with a single client was 54%, and increased to 91% in 2005. Also in 2001, the number of times sex workers Female sex workers in Hanoi and Hai Phong continuously used condoms with a single client for 43% of the total number of times, and skyrocketed to 50% in 2005. In 2009, 77.7% of female sex workers in ten provinces various have reported using condoms with the latest customers. Also in the same ten provinces from 2006 to 2009, knowledge of condom suppliers and HIV testing increased from 30% to 47.3%.
Progress among injecting drug users and men who have sex with men on the use of condoms remains relatively low, with only 51.9% of injecting drug users and 66.5% of male sex partners. same-sex sex partners using condoms with their latest partners in the ten provinces. People living with an individual with HIV also miss out on the benefits of the condom campaign. A 2008 census in Hanoi conducted among key partners of injecting drug users showed that 67% were HIV positive or had unknown HIV status, and only 17% always used condoms. su. In a broader survey of 22 provinces in the same year, 21% of people in relationships with injecting drug users did not know their partner's HIV status or knew they were infected, and 25% of reports that they have never or often used condoms.
The needle and syringe exchange program has been successful over the past 10 years in reducing needle sharing among injecting drug users. In Hai Phong, needle sharing among injecting drug users decreased from 23% in 2001 to 6% in 2005. In Hanoi and Hai Phong, female sex workers who inject drugs also reported Reports of needle sharing have decreased by 42.6% in Hanoi and 43.9% in Hai Phong among users of the above needle exchange program. In ten provinces by 2010, the needle exchange program ensured that 44.8% of male injecting drug users received clean needles and syringes. The World Bank and the Department of International Development have implemented programs to increase the use of sterile injecting equipment from 88.8% in 2006 to 93.5% in 2009.
Of the three main harm reduction programs, the start of substance replacement clinics has been relatively recent, largely due to the high operating costs of these clinics. In 2008, Vietnam began a pilot program for the first methadone clinic in Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City. After nine months of treatment, the compliance rate among patients was 96.5% with only 3% of criminal activity, as opposed to 40% of those who inject drugs and are not participating in treatment. The success of the pilot program has led to the expansion of more methadone clinics throughout Vietnam, including the first pre-paid clinic in Hai Phong. However, Vietnam has not yet established supervised injecting facilities.
Since the implementation of the national HIV strategy, Vietnam has seen an increase in knowledge about HIV as well as a decrease in risky behaviors, such as unsafe sex, sharing needles and improper sterilization methods in areas with access to these programs during the past decade. In recent years, the beginning of alternative clinics has also added a therapeutic dimension to the harm reduction model of Vietnam. The harm reduction model has been successful in delivering positive behavioral improvements in Vietnam.