The master goal of the project is to enhance the capacity of community-based organizations in combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic through solidifying the capabilities of people, organization and policy advocacy.
Community-based organizations are important partners to help Viet Nam achieve its anti-HIV/AIDS goals, Director of USAID Viet Nam Michael Greene said, expressing his hope that the HIV/AIDS services offered by the LIFE centre will work towards sustainable HIV/AIDS prevention and control in Viet Nam.
USAID’s project in HCM City has been built from the success of the LIFE-implemented project “Community connections for HIV/AIDS prevention and control in southern provinces” from May 2014 to May 2016, which provided community-based HIV/AIDS services for 8,000 injection drug users, homosexual men and female sex workers, and 2,000 HIV-infected people in HCM City, Can Tho city and An Giang province.
The project also helped to enhance the capacity of 23 community-based organizations operating in the field of HIV/AIDS in these localities, as well as promote collaboration with stakeholders in preventing and combating HIV/AIDS at national and provincial levels.
The five-year project aims to deliver effective HIV/AIDS treatment services in Ho Chi Minh City. In the first two years, the project plans to provide services for over 18,000 men who have sex with men (MSM) and 1,550 people living with HIV/AIDS. The p erformance of community-based organisations in fighting HIV/AIDS will be also improved through the project.
USAID Director in Vietnam Michael Greene said community-based organisations are critical partners as Vietnam strives to achieve its goals. He hoped LIFE, a Vietnamese partner of USAID, would strengthen the capacity of community-based organizations and the HIV/AIDS services that they provide to support a sustainable HIV/AIDS response in Vietnam.
The new project is built on the success of the USAID Community HIV Link-Southern project, also implemented by LIFE from May 2014 to May 2016, which successfully delivered effective community-based HIV/AIDS services to 8,000 people who inject drugs, MSM and female sex workers and 2,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in HCM City, Can Tho city and An Giang province.
The project also strengthened capacity for 23 community-based organisations working on HIV/AIDS in these localities and facilitated coordination with key stakeholders in the HIV/AIDS sector at the provincial and national level.
