HIV exposure support for foreigners in Vietnam

HIV exposure support for foreigners in Vietnam

HIV exposure support for foreigners in Vietnam. Pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV with ARV drugs (PrEP) is one of the effective interventions to prevent HIV infection today. Vietnam has implemented this measure in 28 provinces and cities with more than 30,000 people using it. In addition to customers going to medical facilities to register and use the service, customers can now access PrEP through mobile services.

What is ARV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) mobile service?
Mobile service of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis with ARV drugs (PrEP) for people at high risk of HIV infection (hereinafter abbreviated as mobile PrEP treatment) is a medical service provided at locations outside a medical facility suitable for the customer or in a convenient place for a group of customers who, due to circumstances or reasons, cannot access PrEP treatment services at medical facilities.
According to the guidelines for providing mobile HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services of the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, Ministry of Health to provide mobile PrEP treatment services, service providers need to meet the following principles:
– A mobile PrEP treatment facility is a medical facility that has been licensed to operate under the provisions of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment.
– Facilities providing mobile PrEP treatment need to develop a plan for mobile PrEP treatment and receive written approval from the Department of Health.
– Mobile PrEP treatment facilities must keep customer information confidential in accordance with the law.
– Mobile PrEP treatment is provided based on customers’ voluntary participation and is completely free including ARV drugs

– Management of mobile PrEP treatment customer records must be done at the medical facility organizing mobile PrEP treatment.
– Providing mobile PrEP treatment requires thorough coordination before, during and after the mobile session between medical facilities providing mobile services, community support groups, and Provincial Centers for Disease Control. , city and related units.
Choosing a location to provide mobile PrEP treatment will also be very important. Locations suitable for target customers are usually: (1) Health rooms at universities, colleges, and vocational schools. ; (2) Medical rooms in industrial parks and export processing zones; (3) Medical rooms of prisons, detention camps, compulsory education establishments, reformatories; (4) Media events or places where many people at high risk gather may be suitable for providing on-site PrEP services; (5) Entertainment service establishments, private homes, mobile vehicles or other locations suitable for people at high risk of HIV infection who need PrEP treatment.

Some necessary conditions to provide mobile PrEP treatment services
Regarding facilities: To provide mobile PrEP treatment at locations outside medical facilities, this location must meet the following conditions: (1) Have space for medical examination, consultation, and testing and dispensing drugs in PrEP treatment; (2) Ensure conditions for infection control, radiation safety, medical waste management, fire prevention and fighting according to the provisions of law; (3)  Ensure conditions for privacy and security of customer information according to the provisions of law; (4) Ensure adequate electricity, water and conditions for PrEP examination and treatment.

Regarding personnel: The person responsible for technical expertise of the mobile PrEP examination and treatment team must have a medical examination and treatment practice certificate issued by the Ministry of Health or the Department of Health according to the provisions of law and scope. The expertise listed in the practice certificate is suitable for PrEP treatment. Other members of the mobile PrEP examination and treatment team must have a practicing certificate. In cases where members directly participate in medical examination and treatment but are not required to have a practicing certificate according to the provisions of law, they must be trained and trained in accordance with the assigned professional scope. In case of dispensing medicine, the person dispensing the medicine must have at least a professional qualification as a pharmacist or a doctor with a practicing certificate.
Regarding medical equipment and medicine: The mobile team must have enough equipment and boxes of anti-shock medicine, emergency medicine and medicine appropriate to the scope of professional activities on PrEP treatment. Equipment for mobile PrEP treatment must have clear origin, ARV drugs for PrEP treatment must be on the list allowed for circulation in Vietnam and must still be valid.
Regarding professional activities: Strictly comply with regulations on technical expertise and scope of professional activities permitted by the Ministry of Health and Department of Health. Providing mobile PrEP treatment services needs to ensure that the PrEP examination and treatment process follows the professional process in Chapter III, Guidelines for HIV/AIDS Treatment and Care issued by the Ministry of Health in Decision No. 5456 /QD-BYT November 19, 2019.
Some other conditions: The implementation of providing mobile PrEP treatment services at medical rooms of units such as universities, colleges, intermediate schools, vocational schools, industrial parks, export processing… needs to be approved. Those units agree in writing. The provision of mobile PrEP treatment services at locations other than medical facilities that are not located in the above locations needs to be approved by the People’s Committee of the commune, ward or town where the mobile PrEP treatment is performed. written comments.
Thus, mobile PrEP treatment facilities should be fixed PrEP treatment providers at medical facilities and developing plans to expand service provision will be advantageous not only for customers but also for service providers. Medical facilities provide mobile PrEP treatment in the form of mobile PrEP examination and treatment teams.
However, in order to effectively provide mobile PrEP services, service providers need to link and coordinate with community support groups and places receiving mobile services (industrial parks, universities). schools, entertainment service providers, hot spots for prostitution and drug injection activities, etc.) to organize. At least one collaborator should be selected to be the contact and support person for mobile service organization activities, and at the same time need to develop and agree on a plan to organize mobile service sessions with the medical facility. and a community support group to advise and refer customers to register for mobile PrEP services. The community support team will also coordinate with places receiving mobile PrEP services to make a list of customers who will receive services for each mobile session and have a reception plan in case unregistered customers arrive, and at the same time Inform customers of the time to provide mobile PrEP treatment services and remind them to bring their ID card or citizen identification card or identification documents.

Any questions about HIV issues. Please call 0909000966 for HIV consultation, HIV testing consultation directly from experts.