A new five-year USAID/PATH STEPS project launched (Photo Courtesy of USAID) The 20.7 million-USD USAID/PATH Healthy Markets project ran from 2014 to 2021and was funded by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
Through the project, USAID and PATH worked with the Ministry of Health’s VietnamAdministration for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) to generate sustainable approachesfor increasing investment in, demand for, and supply of transformationalHIV-related goods and services.
USAID/PATH Healthy Markets was a key partner to the Ministry of Health in itsintroduction and scale-up of new and innovative approaches like HIVcommunity-based testing, self-testing, and pre-exposure prophylaxis, orPrEP—three key services that contributed to a 57 percent reduction in new HIVinfections over the past decade.
HIV self-test kits are now widely available through pharmacies and e-commerce,community-based testing services are being offered in 33 of Vietnam’s 63provinces, and PrEP has been scaled to 29 provinces.
Through Healthy Markets–supported models alone, nearly 218,000 people weretested for HIV in the community and 8,986 people newly diagnosed with HIV wereenrolled on lifesaving treatment. In addition, more than 46,000 HIV self-testkits were distributed, and 16,700 people enrolled on PrEP, an oral pill thateffectively prevents HIV infection when prescribed.
Healthy Markets redefined the role of communities in the response, which iscritical because key populations at risk for HIV–including men who have sexwith men, transgender people, sex workers, and people who inject drugs–oftenprefer to receive HIV and other health services from their peers in communitysettings.
Through Healthy Markets, Vietnam’s first-ever key population–led socialenterprises and clinics were established and grown. Key population healthproviders were equipped with tools and skills to deliver integrated,person-centred HIV and primary health care services. Today, hundreds of keypeople-led organisations are at the forefront of cutting-edge HIV servicedelivery and demand creation in the country.
The project mobilised more than 12.6 million USD in investment into thenational HIV response by facilitating deep shared-value partnerships with morethan 150 private-sector partners, including HIV goods manufacturers andsuppliers, distributors and retailers, community service providers, andmultimedia companies.
“Over the past eight years, USAID support addressed critical gaps inaccessible, affordable, community-based HIV care while strengthening thedomestic market for HIV-related goods and services. As we step up the fightagainst HIV in Vietnam, our next project will focus on ensuring thesustainability of our collective progress and addressing key remaining gaps toultimately help Vietnam achieve its commitment to end AIDS by 2030," saidBradley Bessire, Deputy Mission Director, USAID/Vietnam.
At today’s event, USAID also announced STEPS, a new five-year, 15 million USD projectin partnership with PATH and its core partner Glink Vietnam, to maintain themomentum of Healthy Markets and catalyse greater HIV- and primaryhealthcare-related market growth.
Given more than 95 percent of the current oral PrEP market is subsidised byinternational donors, a major focus of the project will be on increasingsustainable PrEP financing through a blend of commercial, public-financed, andfree PrEP services.
The USAID/PATH Support for Technical Excellence and Private SectorSustainability in Vietnam (STEPS) project will amplify access to integratedperson-centred HIV and Primary Healthcare (PHC) services through innovativemodels of care; boost demand for and use of game-changing health tools andtechnologies; and identify promising new public-private collaborativeapproaches that could significantly enhance the sustainable supply, delivery,and demand for HIV and PHC goods and services.
Combined, these efforts will support Vietnam in attaining its epidemic controlgoals outlined in the National Strategy to End AIDS by 2030. STEPS willcatalyse community co-creation, VAAC governance and key population leadership,and targeted market and service delivery innovations to achieve these goals.
At the launch, Associate Professor Phan Thi Thu Huong, Director of VietnamAdministration for HIV/AIDS Control, said: “USAID/PATH Healthy Markets hascontinued to accelerate innovative health solutions significantly contribute tothe HIV/AIDS response in Vietnam. I trust you will maintain your momentum andthe inspiring energy moving into the new USAID/PATH STEPS project.”/.
VNA
