Three foreign experts honoured for supporting health sector in Vietnam

At the ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The held a
ceremony in Hanoi on August 25 to present the “For people’s health” insignia to
three foreign experts in recognition of their contributions to the Vietnamese
health sector and the cause of HIV/AIDS prevention and control in particular.

The honoured experts were Marie-Odile Emond, Country
Director of the Joint United Nations Programme
on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Vietnam; John Michael Blandford, Country
Director of the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) in
Vietnam; and Paula Morgan, Deputy Director of the US CDC in Vietnam.

, who has worked as Country Director
in Vietnam since 2017, has helped strengthen national coordination in mobilising
and optimising the use of resources for the country’s HIV/AIDS, drug and
prostitution prevention and control.

She also called for assistance to Vietnam in building legal
documents and policies in the field.

Meanwhile, initiated and led the U=U
(Undetectable = Untransmittable) campaign, or
K=K in Vietnamese, making the US CDC in Vietnam the pioneer in implementing the
US President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
in the globe.

Together with the US CDC
Country Director, Paula Morgan directed the building of four PEPFAR Vietnam Country
Operational Plans (COPs) in the 2016-2020
period to ensure sponsorship for the country’s HIV programmes through the
setting up of priorities in science and technology as well as the review and re-forming
of annual goals for the seeking and treatment of people living with HIV.

Addressing the ceremony, Acting Minister of Health Nguyen
Thanh Long highly valued the contributions and support of the foreign experts,
especially in the coordination of resources, policy support and consultations
to Government agencies to draw out HIV’AIDS strategies.

He underlined that the Vietnamese health sector hopes for
stronger international cooperation and more assistance from the international
community and organisations in the field of HIV/AIDS control.

He noted that the Prime Minister has approved a National
Strategy on ending AIDS in 2030. So far, Vietnam is a bright spot in the world
in the HIV/AIDS fight, with the number of infections and deaths falling consecutively
since 2008. Vietnam is also one of the four countries in the world with highest
ratio of treatment compliance./.