Empowering People, Strengthening Networks: Viet Nam Participates in the 9th ICAAP

Hanoi, 5 August 2009 – Representatives from the Ggovernment, civil society and people living with HIV will share Vietnamese experiences of the national AIDS response in Viet Nam with the international communities at the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) from 9 to 13 August in Bali, Indonesia, with support from the Joint United Nations (UN) Team on HIV.

“We need to make the best use of this important forum to showcase what Viet Nam has achieved in the fight against the epidemic, with the participation and political will of all sectors in our society, especially Vietnamese people living with HIV,” said Madam Ha Thi Khiet, Chair-woman of the Viet Nam Communist Party’s Commission for People’s Mobilization. “This is also a good chance for us to learn from best practices in the region.,” she added.

The Viet Nam delegation will present on a wide range of issues at this ICAAP, from the technical scientific aspects of the national response, i.e. ARTantiretroviral treatment, Harm Reduction, Quality Improvement in Systems and Research Results, to the social aspect, i.e. Behaviour and Social Change, Community Empowerment, Populations at Higher Risk, Human Rights and the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV (GIPA), to the strategic aspect of the response with Leadership for Political engagementChange, Civil Society and Partnership, and Capacity Building.

AThe highlight of the Vietnamese presence participation at this ICAAP will be during the satellite meeting focused on civil society participation in achieving universal access in the country. This session will provide a comprehensive picminiature of the AIDS response in Viet Nam with presentations of by the Director General of the Viet Nam Administration for AIDS Control (VAAC), and as well as of from representatives of fromof the local and international NGO communityies as well asand of the Viet Nam Network of People Living with HIV.

“The theme selectedion for this satellite meeting of Viet Nam embodies the important contributions that civil society is making to the achievement of universal access in the country,” said Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Viet Nam Country Director and Co-convenerChair of the Joint UN Team on HIV, who will co-chair the satellite meeting together with Madam Ha Thi KhietHa and Dr. Nguyen Thanh Long, VAAC Director General.

“The Joint UN Team on HIV congratulates the Government of Viet Nam on for thisshowcasing their efforts for other countries to learn from wise choice and stands ready to support Viet Nam to further this strategic approach in working towards achieving universal access by 2010,” he added Mr. Murphy .

“The establishment and official registration process and registration of the Viet Nam National Network of People Living with HIV (VNP+) and its participation of people living with HIV in the national AIDS response since 2008 showsed the support and encouragement we received from the Party and the Government,” expressed stated Mr. Pham Quoc Hung, co-chair of the VNP+. “Given this enabling environment, we still need to build strongerstrengthen our capacity in order to have a greater and more active share of action in the response to AIDS.”

An in-depth look intodiscussion of these matters issues will be made available at the discussiontake place during the latter part section of the Viet Nam satellite meeting at ICAAP on ThursdayTuesday, 131 August 2009.

The Viet Nam delegation will furthermore present on a wide range of issuestopics at the ICAAP, ranging from technical aspectsaspects of the national AIDS response (, i.e. antiretroviral treatment, hHarm rReduction, qQuality iImprovement in sSystems and rResearch rResults), toto the the social aspects, B (i.e. behaviour and sSocial Cchange, cCommunity eEmpowerment, pPopulations at hHigher Rrisk, hHuman rRights and the gGreater iInvolvement of People Living with HIV (GIPA)). In addition, information will be shared on the strategic aspect of the response, including with Lleadership for pPolitical eEngagement, Ccivil sSociety and pPartnership, and cCapacity- bBuilding.

This At this 9th ICAAP also brings to the international community other interesting features of Viet Nam will be shared with the international community, including a cultural performance of by Vu Tay dancers, an educationalIEC art performance art troupe from made up of members from a self-help group in northern Viet Nam who who uses traditional ‘Cheo’ performances to educate peers and thus helps stop the spread of HIV and reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

There are also other satellite meetings on specific aspects of the AIDS response in Viet Nam which are organized by the UN family and international NGOs.

For detailed information of the Vietnamese participation in the 9th ICAAP please go tovisit the UNAIDS Viet Nam web site at vietnam-test.unaids.org and VAAC website at www.vaac.org.vn

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