Project helps 1,400 people with AIDS gain employment

More than 1,400 people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS have been able to find a job or run their own businesses with support from a five year US Government-funded programme.
More than 1,400 people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS have beenable to find a job or run their own businesses with support from a fiveyear US Government-funded programme.

The figure wasdisclosed at a June 20 ceremony to mark the programme’s end known as theUS Agency for International Development (USAID) HIV workplace project.

Speaking at the event, USAID director in Vietnam JoakimParker said despite impressive progress, Vietnam is still likely tomiss the Millennium Development Goal target of reversing the epidemic.

“There is a lot of work to be done,” Parker said. “Peopleliving with HIV/AIDS have to battle terrible social stigma associatedwith the infection. In far too many cases, family support withers,marriages dissolve and jobs are lost once a person’s HIV status isknown.”

Started in 2008, the 3 million USD project hasexpanded workplace-based HIV prevention activities to 118 enterprises ineight provinces and cities with more than 100,000 people trained in HIVprevention.

Besides job placement support and training,people living with HIV also received more than 100,000 USD in loansthrough Vietnamese micro-finance providers.

Le Duc Hien,deputy director of the Labour Ministry’s department for prevention ofsocial evils, said the international support for HIV/AIDS prevention isexpected to dwindle.

“The country needs to further developeffective policies that could make the work of international partnerssustainable after they left,” he stressed.

“From experience,we know that it’s not enough to give a loan of 20 million VND and letthe receiver take all the risks. It’s necessary to guide and train themhow to use that money effectively,” he said.

According toHien, the department is working on a national programme to supportpeople living with HIV/AIDS to find employment and increase their accessto small loans. It’s expected to go for Government approval this year.-VNA

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