Efforts for HIV/AIDS patients

(Baonghean) - “AIDS does not mean hopeless”, that is the goal that the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Center has set for many years to help AIDS patients regain health, joy and hope for life…

The day of giving birth should be the happiest day for a woman, but for Ms. NM, Ward L, Vinh City, it was the most painful day, because she received the news that she was infected with HIV/AIDS from her husband. Even more painful, her first son was also infected with HIV from his mother. A year after that fateful day, her husband and son passed away one after another. At the age of 30, she became a widow and became the object of public criticism. Her hope was only rekindled when she joined the Quynh Huong Xanh group and became a peer educator specializing in supporting and helping people in the same situation. It was also here that she met P, her current husband, a man who had made many mistakes. Two people, two different circumstances, but shared the same pain of carrying the disease of the century. Relying on each other also to dream of having someone to share the last days of life.

Having a family, the couple focused on business with a small shop. However, deep in her heart, she always longed to be a mother. Knowing his wife's wishes, he discussed with her to go to the AIDS Prevention and Control Center for consultation and here they were advised to monitor their health regularly and take ARVs fully. During her pregnancy, she was introduced to the Provincial General Hospital for support, monitoring and medication during pregnancy. Her family was happy when the day her first daughter was born, she tested healthy, and 9 months later, the test result was negative for HIV. Following that treatment regimen, when her first child was one year old, she continued to be pregnant with her second child and now, 1 month after giving birth, the child is developing healthily, with no signs of infection.

Propaganda for people in Thach Giam commune, Tuong Duong district.

For the past 5 years, more and more couples infected with HIV/AIDS have come to the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Center to ask for support in giving birth under the program "Prevention of mother-to-child transmission". The good news is that while in the past, the rate of successful births without infection was only 30-40%, now it has reached over 90%. This result is due to the fact that in recent times, the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Center has stepped up propaganda work and opened more support and counseling centers. Specifically, there are currently 4 facilities in the whole province for preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission, including two full-package facilities (including care, counseling, prevention support and monitoring before, during and after birth) namely the Department of Obstetrics, Provincial General Hospital and Thai Hoa Medical Center, 2 referral counseling facilities at Do Luong Medical Center and the Provincial Center for Reproductive Health Care. In addition, in the districts and towns of Dien Chau, Thai Hoa, Do Luong, Tuong Duong, and Que Phong, the program of preventing mother-to-child transmission has been implemented, helping to test and provide ARV treatment for 100% of pregnant women found to be infected with HIV regardless of CD4 count. This year alone, 2,610 people have been tested, of which 2 cases of HIV infection have been detected and treated to prevent mother-to-child transmission, and 1 child was born safely from an HIV-infected mother.

According to Mr. Trinh Hung Tien, Deputy Director of the Center for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, the program to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child is just one of many activities that the center aims to share and help people with HIV/AIDS. In parallel with organizing many communication activities on mass media and direct communication in residential areas, communication through a team of collaborators and community outreach workers, harm reduction intervention programs are also deployed synchronously in 21/21 districts, cities and towns. Thereby, over 600,000 syringes and nearly 70,000 condoms have been distributed to high-risk subjects such as drug addicts, women, sex workers and their partners. ARV care and treatment have been organized for 2,830 patients infected with HIV/AIDS at 13 facilities, including 9 outpatient clinics, 2 social education centers and 2 prisons. During the year, over 50% of communes and wards and over 20% of small and medium enterprises implemented communication activities to prevent and combat HIV/AIDS.

To limit the increase of infected subjects and raise people's awareness, the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Center has focused on propaganda, strengthening the organization of rich and diverse communication activities, organizing training for specialized collaborators in mountainous districts and areas with increasing HIV infection rates. Through communication and counseling activities, it has contributed to raising awareness for drug addicts, sex workers and people to have a more complete view of HIV/AIDS. Therefore, stigma and discrimination of people and the community towards HIV/AIDS has decreased significantly. If in the past, people with HIV had to hide it, now they dare to go public.

Most drug addicts and prostitutes have the habit of using clean needles (in injection) and condoms (in sexual intercourse) with a rate of up to nearly 90%. The HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Center is also a bridge to help HIV/AIDS prevention and control groups and clubs in the province operate smoothly, including professional support, consultation and provision of documents. Thereby, many groups have been proactive in their work, have many practical initiatives to help drug addicts and HIV/AIDS infected people successfully quit their drugs and gradually create jobs for members. Hopefully, the AIDS Prevention and Control Center will continue to promote its tasks and functions to gradually help HIV/AIDS infected people improve their health and integrate into the community.

Song Hoang