The Prime Minister issued Decision No 1899/QĐ-TTg on October 15, 2013 to approve a master plan to ensure finance for HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities during the 2013-2020 period. The plan created an important legal corridor for implementing measures to ensure sustainable finance for HIV/AIDS prevention and control, and a strategy with groups of measures from mobilising financial sources to managing and using programmes effectively.

Implementing the Decision, the Ministry of Health proactively built a roadmap to carry out measures effectively, including guiding and supporting provinces and cities to implement and build plans to ensure finance for the whole targeted period.

Over the past 10 years, with continuous efforts with strong political commitment of authorities at all levels and close coordination of ministries and sectors during the construction process of mechanisms and policies as well as valuable technical support and financial assistance from donors, Vietnam has gained impressive results in transforming domestic financial sources for HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong speaks at the conference (chinhphu.vn)

Specifically, the proportion of domestic financial sources increased to more than 51 per cent, of which the rate of the provincial budget allocated for HIV/AIDS prevention and control rose from eight per cent to 17 per cent. Besides, the health insurance fund is considered a breakthrough in the HIV/AIDS prevention and control programme in Vietnam with 95 per cent of people infected with HIV participating in health insurance, an increase of two times within five years. The total amount of the health insurance fund earmarked for HIV/AIDS prevention and control accounts for up to 25 per cent of the domestic financial sources.

Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Lien Huong said in order to successfully implement the strategy to put an end to the AIDS epidemic by 2030, Vietnam still faces challenges in ensuring financial sources and sustainable transfer of the programme. “Financial sources mobilised during the 2021-2030 period are expected to meet just 60-70 per cent of the demand,” she said.

There are still many things for Vietnam to do in order to fulfil the set target. Meanwhile, the AIDS epidemic is still developing. The number of HIV-infected people increased rapidly in the last three years with more than 13,000 cases. HIV infections increased quickly among transgender people and men who have sex with men. There is a high risk for the disease to break out in a number of provinces and regions such as the Mekong Delta and the Southeastern region.

HIV prevention consultancy for people at a medical facility

Nearly 50 per cent of financial sources for the HIV/AIDS prevention and control programme still depend on international projects. The process of financial transfer for HIV/AIDS prevention and control still faces many difficulties.

In order to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, many measures have been taken, including requiring 100 per cent of localities to build and submit to authorised agencies for approval plans to ensure financial sources for HIV/AIDS prevention and control in 2021.

However, the end of 2022 is approaching but 12 provinces and cities have not yet built and had their plans approved. Deputy minister Huong asked these provinces and cities to promptly build and submit the plans to authorised agencies for approval to ensure financial sources for HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

She urged relevant departments and agencies to soon complete a legal corridor for the continuous and stable supply of antiretroviral drugs (ARV) provided by the health insurance fund to ensure the interests of health insurance card holders.

 A view of the conference held to review 10 years of implementing the Master plan to ensure financial sources for HIV/AIDS prevention and control in Vietnam

Speaking highly of achievements in HIV/AIDS prevention and control in Vietnam, particularly in providing HIV treatment services funded by health insurance, US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper said from 2019 to 2022, the health insurance fund of Vietnam contributed around US$10 million annually for HIV treatment and care programmes, meeting 70 per cent of demand for ARV in Vietnam.

“This is an encouraging achievement. That Vietnam decides to have HIV treatment funded by health insurance demonstrates Vietnam’s progress in the process towards maintaining a sustainable national HIV response,” he said.

Deputy health minister Huong proposed the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control coordinate with relevant departments and agencies in submitting to the Government mechanisms and legal corridors to purchase HIV/AIDS prevention and control services and equipment; and enhance the participation of the private sector in investing and supplying HIV/AIDS prevention and control services in order to promote the efficiency of the supply of the services in the future./.