The northern mountainous province of Ha Giang has recently approved the implementation of a plan on methadone treatment until 2020, with the aim to provide therapy for 70-80 percent of local drug users.
Accordingly, the province will build and improve the infrastructure of three rehabilitation centres in Ha Giang city and Bac Quang and Meo Vac districts, as well as medicine distribution centres in Vi Xuyen and Bac Me districts.
During the 2013-2015 period, it will focus on building and upgrading a methadone treatment clinic at the provincial centre for HIV/AIDS prevention and control.
Vietnam piloted its first detoxification model using methadone in 2008, with 15 clinics in six cities and provinces nationwide.
The methadone treatment programme will be expanded in Vietnam, heading to 245 clinics in 30 provinces and cities providing treatment for 80,000 drug users by 2015.
Methadone maintenance treatment is a comprehensive treatment programme that involves the long-term prescribing of methadone as an alternative to the opioid on which drug users were dependent. Central to the treatment is the provision of counselling, case management and other medical and psychosocial services.-VNA
