It seems that 2010 can be a milestone for HIV actions. We all know that it is the deadline for G8 to provide access to HIV treatment, prevention, care and support. In Vietnam in particular, this day is also very important because 1990 is the year when the first case of HIV was discovered - so it has been 20 years since 1990.
The government commits setting certain targets for universal access. The AIDS response in Vietnam is categorized in four major areas: Governance; Policy and Legislative Framework; Prevention; and Treatment, Care and Support Additionally, in 2009, the government organized international congresses and meetings to design the national strategy to fight against HIV.
In 2010, the Ministry of Health has made the action plans to combat HIV. I would like to highlight some activities, which take place mostly in the end of the year: The program to raise fund for PLHIV (Nov 2010), Vietnam Creativeness's Day to search for the feasible ideas in response to HIV (Nov), National's Month to fight against HIV (Nov-Dec), especially the AIDS exibition http://www.exhiv2010.vn/home/index.php?lang=en
Nevertheless, there are some problems that need addressing here. First, the information in English is very outdated. The most recent English material that describes the HIV situation in Vietnam uses 2007 data. I have to read many Vietnamese documents to get the information and after that translate it to write this post (please pardon me if some phrases are awkward). Besides, the actions for the youth and run by the youth are still lacking. In fact, I have been involving in various environmental and youth initiatives that are very popular in Vietnam, but for HIV actions, most young people get a little bit afraid. There are a couples of reasons, perhaps the best explanation is that young people are influenced by the parents' opinion. Fighting against discrimination is extremely challenging in the country. However, there are also some young people who have a positive view on this issue, and what we need to do is to connect all of them to create the force that can somehow change the attitude!
I am getting to see that change in a not very far future!
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4 comments:
Sorry for the language barriers my dear Do. At least your English is not bad, meaning you can do something for your country. what do you plan to do to improve access to English documents on HIV in Vietnam?
Language barriers are a huge issue in many countries. Often organizations so not prioritize translation... this can be a big challenge.
With this post and the last one you have highlighted that stigma is a big concern in Vietnam. Is there any work being done to challenge HIV stigma in the country? Also, what are some of the things that drive stigma? Better understanding why people have stigmatizing beliefs and attitudes can help you find ways to challenge them.
Hi Do, Its like you did this article before the assigned time and therefore could not create the area of advocacy in which you will like to play a role in the days ahead. You may need to update the article.
However, the problems of youths access to information and right to participate are very glaring. Do you have plans to tackle these?
@Alex: To challenge stigma is extremely difficult in Vietnam (and of course in many other countries). As far as I'm concerned, there are currently no groups or organizations that focus on fighting HIV discrimination. The main activities of groups in Vietnam is to provide health services, information about safe sex, and peer education among PLHIV.
Personally, I think the activities listed above are the first and essential steps to combat HIV myths and misconceptions. To change people's opinion, even behaviours is a long term objectives and requires a solid base and lots of effort. Besides, in Vietnam, lobbying and demonstration are highly discouraged(that is political issues, I won't talk more about it), so fighting discrimination is even harder for groups!
What drive the stigma? It is not difficult to answer: Fear, misconception, misunderstanding. Besides, people have the right reason to fear. There are some criminals, who are also HIV positive, do want to spread this epidemic to others by using their injection needle to transmit the virus.
@Numfor: Sorry for being absent for a while. There are still a lot to talk about the problems, and I may update the post if I have more free time. You are right for that I should have focused area of advocacy. In fact, from the very beginning of the course, I intended to create an action plan for the youth - the post above also addressed the issue.
Making an action plan is one of the most arduous tasks and frankly that has obsessed my mind over a month. But in the end, I do have something to share with you, so please wait to see and give some comments on my plan, which will be available very soon : )
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