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Accordingly, the MoH strives to adequately and continuously provide antiretroviral drugs (ARV) to treat 162,000 people infected with HIV by the end of 2021. These amount of drugs are provided by the Health Insurance Fund; Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund). In addition, the drugs are taken from the Health-Population Target Program in the period 2016 - 2020 and the State budget in 2021.

The antiretroviral drugs (ARV) are provided by the health insurance fund; Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; The Health - Population Target Program for the period 2016 - 2020 and State Budget in 2021. In which, the health insurance fund pays for the HIV infected people who meet the standards such as being 10 years or older and owning valid health insurance cards; health care at medical facilities eligible for medical examination and treatment covered by health insurance for HIV infected people.

The Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria covers children with ARV drugs nationwide and covers HIV-infected people under ARV treatment at facilities funded by the Global Fund in 32 provinces and cities. It also covers adults using ARV treatment regimens not provided by the health insurance fund and the state budget nationwide. The state budget from January to June 30, 2021 covers ARV treatment costs for HIV-infected people that falls under one of the criteria such as people exposed to HIV, infected with HIV due to occupational accidents, or due to risks of medical technology, HIV-infected pregnant women, pregnant women and children indicated for prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, others infected with HIV; From 1 July 2021, the state budget will cover for people exposed to HIV or infected with HIV due to occupational accidents, people exposed to HIV or infected with HIV due to risks of medical technology, people exposed to HIV or infected with HIV due to participation in rescue operations, women and children prescribed for preventive treatment of mother-to-child HIV transmission, HIV-infected children under 6 years old, HIV-infected people in compulsory educational institutions, reformatories, drug detoxification establishments, social protection establishments, prisons, detention centers, detention houses, and other detention establishments.

In 2021, it was initially expected that there would be six ARV drugs covered by the health insurance fund, including Tenofovir/Lamivudine/Effavirenz300/300/400mg (TLE400); Zidovudine/Lamivudine 300/150mg; Lopinavir/ritonavir 200/50mg; Tenofovir 300mg; Lamivudine 150mg; Efavirenz 600mg. Due to difficulties in purchasing TLE400 drugs in the form of price negotiation, the ARV Drug Council held a meeting and made an agreement to propose to replace TLE400 with Tenofovir/Lamivudine/Effavirenz300/300/600mg (TLE600) of an amount equivalent to the amount of TLE400 established by treatment facilities. However, as TLE600 cannot be purchased, in order to ensure that ARV drugs would not be interrupted for treatment of HIV-infected people, the MoH regulates the use of TLE600 from the Health Insurance Fund in 2020 among treatment facilities and mobilizes support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; at the same time, directs the ARV Drug Council covered by Health Insurance to propose an alternative list of drugs for TLE600. The ARV Drug Council covered by Health Insurance had a meeting to replace TLE600 with TLE400 and Tenofovir/Lamivudine/Dolutegravir300/300/50mg (TLD).

Specifically, for 188 establishments using TLE600 covered by Health Insurance Fund in 2020, they will use TLE400 from the Second Quarter to the Fourth Quarter of 2021; The amount of TLE400 used in the 3 quarters of 2021 is equivalent to the amount of TLE400 in the 3 quarters established by the treatment facilities. For 150 establishments that planned to use TLD drugs funded by the Health Insurance Fund in 2021, they have been using antidepressants from the Global Fund in the First Quarter and the Second Quarter of 2021, they will continue to use TLDs covered by the Health Insurance Fund in the Third Quarter and the Fourth Quarter of 2021. The amount of TLD drugs used in the Third Quarter and and the Fourth Quarter of 2021 shall be equivalent to that of TLE400 drugs in the two above quarters that the treatment facilities established. Based on the consent of the provinces and cities, the Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control sent the TLE400 and TLD drug demand plans to the National Centralized Drug Procurement Center. The Center is currently negotiating prices for these two drugs./.