Health

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV officially launched in Hanoi

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) service for HIV prevention was officially launched in Hanoi on April 16.
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for HIV officially launched in Hanoi ảnh 1A doctor gives advice to an HIV patient at the healthcare centre of Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) service for HIV prevention wasofficially launched in Hanoi on April 16.

PrEP allows people who do nothave HIV but are at substantial risk of infection to prevent HIV by taking apill every day, as part of a combination HIV prevention strategy.

Phan Thi Thu Huong, vice director of the Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDSControl of the Ministry of Health, said PrEP is extremely effective when taken correctly, and would reduce therisk of HIV infection via unsafe sex by 90 percent or via injection drug use by70 percent.

According to vice director of the Health Department of Hanoi Hoang Duc Hanh,the service will first be provided at the Dong Da healthcare centre, Long Bienhealthcare centre, and Hanoi Medical University before it is expanded in Hanoi.

PrEP was first piloted in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2016. Theservice is being provided in eight clinics in Hanoi.

The Ministry of Health made it part of the direction for HIV/AIDS care andtreatment in 2017 and passed a plan to roll out the service for the 2018-2020in 2018 with the provision of free antiretroviral drugs for HIV treatment.

During this expansion period, the Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDS Controlin coordination with projects and organizations made PrEP available at 43private and state clinics in 11 provinces and cities. Over 2,000 people areusing the service.

By the end of 2018, the number of alive HIV carriers in Vietnam was estimatedat 250,000, with 10,000 new infections found a year.

Provinces and cities reported in 2018 that HIV infections reduced significantlyin the groups of drugs addicts (from 29-30 percent to 9-10 percent) and sexworkers (from 5 percent to 3.4 percent) but rose in the group of men having sexwith men (from 7.4 percent to 11.4 percent).

It is estimated thatVietnam has around 174,000 men having sex with men (MSM) aged from 15-49,including over 30,000 in Hanoi (or 17.5 percent).

Since 2015, the World HealthOrganization has strongly recommended PrEP as an additional prevention choicefor people at substantial risk of HIV.-VNA
VNA
#Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis #PrEP #PrEP service for HIV prevention #Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDS Control #HIV patients #HIV infection #free antiretroviral drugs for HIV treatment #HIV carriers in Vietnam #updated Vietnam news #Vietnamplus #Vietnam News Agency
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