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Country Profiles |
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FHI/Vietnam Country Director Addresses Prime Minister, Other Top Officials at AIDS Conference |
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JANUARY 2005 — FHI/Vietnam Country Director Stephen Mills, PhD, was one of only two representatives of international organizations asked to address the Government of Vietnam National Conference on HIV/AIDS in Ho Chi Minh City late last month. The conference brought together the country's top policymakers — including Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem and ministers from key government agencies — to discuss the country's HIV response and plan for the future. Representatives from Vietnam's provinces as well as international organizations and donors attended. Dr. Mills discussed the challenges facing Vietnam at the current stage of its epidemic. While HIV prevalence is high among some population groups, the epidemic has not spread widely among the general population, which gives the country a precious opportunity to mobilize to prevent further spread. Dr. Mills praised the Vietnamese government's early and decisive actions against the epidemic and encouraged rigorous implementation of the government's nine new Action Programs to fight AIDS. FHI manages the Implementing AIDS Prevention and Care (IMPACT) Project, which will procure the first set of antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS treatment programs in Vietnam for all partners working with the U.S. government (Centers for Disease Control, Harvard, FHI, Médecins du Monde and Worldwide Orphans Foundation) funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. FHI staff recently conducted in-depth assessments of future FHI-supported treatment sites throughout the country to prepare to deliver comprehensive care and treatment services, which includes antiretroviral therapy, treatment for opportunistic infections and community and home-based care.
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