Friday, July 22, 2022

Social contracting—the direct funding of civil society organizations by the local government—is part of a concerted effort to increase the role of civil society in the HIV response. Civil society organizations and enterprises led by key populations have significant advantages in their capacity to reach, recruit, and sustain those most-at-risk into the services network. Over the last few months, USAID’s Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project has worked closely with the provincial Departments of Health and Centers for Disease Control in Dong Nai and Tay Ninh provinces, as well as USAID’s Local Assistance to Develop and Deliver Excellence, Resilience, and Sustainability in Vietnam (LADDERS) and Local Health System Sustainability (LHSS) projects, to advance provincial ownership and implementation of social contracting mechanisms. In the first week of July, USAID supported Dong Nai and Tay Ninh Centers for Disease Control to select and sign social contracting agreements with two local entities. These social enterprises now have the authorization and resources, managed by provincial authorities, to implement community outreach to increase HIV testing and referrals, and prevention and treatment interventions for those living with HIV.

Without community-led complementarity to the national response, epidemic control in Vietnam would not be possible. Sustainable solutions including social contracting help ensure that local resources can and will sustain efforts beyond the life of donor assistance.

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