Society

Vietnam works towards ending HIV-related discrimination in clinics

A survey has found around 70 percent of medical staff took excessive precautionary measures while offering check-ups to HIV patients for fear of infection.
Vietnam works towards ending HIV-related discrimination in clinics ảnh 1Illustrative image (Source: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – A survey hasfound around 70 percent of medical staff took excessive precautionary measureswhile offering check-ups to HIV patients for fear of infection.

The survey, which polled 600 medical staff and users of HIV treatment servicesin three local medical facilities in Ho Chi Minh City, also provided that 40percent of HIV-infected respondents said they were once discriminated inmedical facilities.

The survey used tools reworked by the Ho Chi Minh City Centre for AIDSPrevention and Control and served a pilot project to reduce HIV-relateddiscrimination in medical stations launched in Ho Chi Minh City in late 2016.

Under the auspices of the UnitedNations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the project aimed to reduce and endHIV-related discrimination, contributing to ending the AIDS epidemic in Vietnamby 2030.


Based on the above survey results, theHo Chi Minh City Centre for AIDS Prevention and Control together with threemedical facilities have raised their staff’s awareness of relevant expertiseand devised appropriate curricula which are expected to be applied nationwideonce the model is spread.

The Global Action Plan to eliminatestigma and discrimination in health care setting was launched by the UNAIDS andthe World Health Organisation (WHO) with a view to promoting respect to therights to equality, towards bringing better health to all citizens.

The plan suggests providing qualityand timely check-ups and treatment for HIV carriers or sex workers, respectingpatients’ privacy and confidentiality rights, forbidding involuntary tests andcoercive medical intervention, as well as ensuring discriminated communities’involvement in the process.-VNA
#excessive precautionary measures #HIV #infection #check-ups #UNAIDS #WHO Vietnam
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