ARV for HIV treatment (Illustrative image. Source: VNA) Dong Nai (VNA) – The southern province of Dong Nai is among 13 localities that have received assistance from the US’ AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) in giving healthcare services to prisoners living with HIV/AIDS.
The province and AHF have jointly implemented a project to connect healthcare facilities and prisons in providing free medicines and health care services for prisoners.
Since 1993, nearly 8,000 HIV/AIDS cases have been reported in Dong Nai, of whom nearly 4,300 are under management, more than 1,100 are not found and the rest died.
Currently, prisons across the province are keeping 130 prisoners living with HIV/AIDS and facing difficulties in seeking health care services.
Hoang Dinh Canh, Vice Director of the Health Ministry’s Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, said that treatment for HIV/AIDS carriers in prisons is difficult as all services for them are depend on support from health care facilities and the community.
He held that linking health care facilities and prisons is crucial to provide treatments for prisoners living with HIV/AIDS.
Chhim Sarath, AHF Director for Asia, said that the foundation has cooperated with 11 prisons and two drug detoxification centres in Vietnam, focusing on localities with high number of HIV/AIDS patients.
He affirmed that in the coming time, the foundation will launch more HIV treatment facilities and expand partnership with more prisons in other localities such as Binh Thuan and Ho Chi Minh City, while seeking more sources to support Vietnam in the coming time, aiming for all HIV/AIDS prisoners to receive treatment in the jail.
The foundation’s project in Dong Nai, which started on April 18 and runs until 2020, aims to help Dong Nai complete the 90-90-90 target, which means 90 percent of people living with HIV knowing their conditions, 90 percent of them receiving antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, 90 percent of those taking ARV therapy have viral suppression.-VNA
VNA
