At the ceremony to launch PrEP service (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – (), which offers up to
92 percent reduction in the risk of contracting HIV if taken consistently, will be offered on a trial basis to people at high
risk, including those in the LGBT community, in Ho Chi Minh City from March
2017 to September 2018.
The information was announced at a ceremony in the city on June 12.
The service will be held by the Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDS Control
(VAAC) under the Ministry of Health and receive support from the US President’s
Emergency Plan for Relief through the United States Agency for
International Development’s Healthy Markets project.
PrEP will be provided in public clinics in 24 districts, some private
healthcare centres and some businesses run by community groups like Galant and
Life clinics.
PrEP will be free in the first month for those who need it and it will be sold
at 750,000 VND (33 USD) for 30 tablets in the second month. After September
2018, it will cost 1.5 million VND (66 USD).
The organising board will work to ensure PrEP is covered by health insurance,
helping the needy access the medicine.
According to Dr. Kimberly Green, Director of the Healthy Markets project,
integrating PrEP into prevention services in Vietnam will reduce HIV
infection in high risk groups. She said that the pilot programme aims to find
the best service model.
VAAC Director Dr. Nguyen Hoang Loang stressed that together with antiretroviral
treatment for HIV people, PrEP is expected to help Vietnam eliminate the
HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
