In Vietnam, ARV drugs must have a license to be imported called a Marketing Authorization Number (MA). The two most prevalent ARVs each only have one MA - both held by a single company - requiring them to be purchased through price negotiations, rather than through open competitive bidding. USAID supported additional drug companies to receive additional MAs for these popular ARVs, enabling a more competitive process and driving down prices.
These ARVs can now be procured through open bidding, increasing their availability, decreasing their prices, and streamlining the payment process through Vietnam’s Social Health Insurance. The availability of these essential HIV medicines supports Vietnam to reach its goal of ending AIDs as a public health threat by 2030.