Vietnam has long been a leader in supporting patients to stay on continuous HIV treatment; however, recent challenges with drug supplies and COVID-19 have increased client burdens. To address this, USAID’s Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project in Vietnam recently introduced to practitioners its Treatment Adherence and Retention Counseling Guide job aide and tools that provide instruction on identifying patient barriers to adherence and suggested supportive interventions. The webinar was attended by 43 participants representing all six focal provinces, including doctors and counselors at HIV treatment facilities, and HIV specialists at provincial centers for disease control.
So what? By promoting comprehensive tools such as EpiC’s guide to help predict which clients may face challenges in adhering to appointments and/or treatment regimens, and help prevent them from experiencing interruption in treatment, USAID maintains gains in epidemic control and further supports Vietnam on its goal of eliminating HIV transmission by 2030.
