A patient involved in methadone treatment (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi will set aside 36 billion VND (1.61 million USD) to expand methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) availability among heroin addicts in the city, said Le Nhan Tuan, Director of the municipal Centre for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control.
Some 3,729 addicts received MMT treatment by the end of 2015, meeting just 43 percent of the set plan.
As of the end of 2015, the city had 17 methadone treatment clinics, but there were no specialised staff at those facilities.
According to Tuan, the city will ensure 12 staff for each facility within this year.
In addition to ensuring sufficient methadone and equipment, the city have provided the clinics with trainings, and disseminated information on the efficiency of methadone treatment, in a bid to get the community and addicts’ families involve in the treatment.
The MMT is a cost-effective method that costs nine times less than traditional treatments in rehab centres. It not only allows addicted people to stop using drugs, reduces their risk of HIV transmission and improves their quality of life, but also is associated with a reduction in criminal activity.-VNA
