A poster from Hang and colleagues reported on the successful involvement of People Living with HIV in Vietnam, where 70% of HIV-positive people are from the drug using community. The challenges in successful ARV care include adherence, lost to follow up and drug resistance.

The poster explained how the clinic in Thuy Nguyen established a comprehensive network model supporting PLHA and other marginalized communities including IDUs. The network gets involvement of self-help groups of PLHA, community health care workers, empathy clubs, local and INGO who are implementing projects in the area. Many of the patients accessing treatment services at the clinic are IDUs. Services include home visits, treatment adherence, ARV information, HIV/AIDS education, drug use. They also create community awareness on HIV/AIDS/Drugs use to reduce stigma and discrimination and provide peer support. The supporting network receives feedbacks from patients about the services of the clinic. Within a span of 10 months the network referred 100 patients and supported both ART and OI treatment.

This model helps reduce rate of lost to follow up and ART treatment failure and the network is planned to expand to involve groups such as Women’s Union, Youth Union and family members to provide this key factor for treatment success, especially IDUs.

Ref:
Hang NT, Thangsing C. Success in access to ART treatment for IDUs through PLHA network and community participation, Vietnam. Abstract MOPE0160.
http://www.aids2008.org/Pag/Abstracts.aspx?AID=10514