HIV and AIDS - Working to prevent HIV in Youth in Hanoi

Viet Nam

AFAP has received funding from the Asian Development Bank to work with youth in implementing an HIV awareness and prevention project in Phuc Tan Ward, Hanoi.

AFAP is working with Hanoi Preventative HIV/AIDS Centre, Bright Futures, Phuc Tan Women’s Union and Phuc Tan Youth Union. This project began in April 2007 and will run for 2 years.

The project works with youth in an area in Hanoi with a particularly high migrant population and a particularly low socio-economic status. The project combines behavioural change communication programs aimed at reaching a diverse array of youth, with activities that will strengthen the existing youth support network within Phuc Tan as well as a broader community-wide program to reduce HIV- and AIDS-related stigma.

Three different behavioural change communication programs will be convened: (1) the establishment of male and female youth health clubs under the auspices of the Phuc Tan Youth Union; (2) an outreach program for youth living at cheap guesthouses; and (3) a peer educator program for hard-to-reach youth. These strategies have been designed to reach youth in Phuc Tan who are most at risk of contracting HIV.

The project will support a number of youth to participate in vocational training and will provide a capacity development program for project partners and peer educators. Innovative strategies to reduce public HIV and AIDS-related stigma will be used, including production of local radio and television broadcasts using well-known youth and community role models and the distribution of printed and digital HIV awareness materials.

Supporting HIV+ Networks IDS

AFAP has continued its support for Dong Da Hospital and two HIV+ support networks – For You and For Me, and Bright Futures.

Students from Ngoc Thu secondary school in Hanoi learn about HIV awareness and prevention from members of Bright Futures, and HIV+ network which now has support groups in 14 provinces of Viet Nam.

This project continues to address healthcare and counselling support needs of HIV and AIDS patients and their families, while also addressing HIV and AIDS-related stigma and discrimination within the broader community.

A primary component of the project is the support of two communications rooms. These rooms provide a place where people and their families living with HIV can receive confidential counselling and support, as well as up-to-date information on care and treatment strategies.

An equally important component of the project is AFAP’s support in training members of For You and For Me, and Bright Futures so that they can work in an HIV home care program coordinated through Dong Da Hospital. This year the home care program provided home-based support for nearly 400 HIV+ people.