Manila, July 4, 2006 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Asian Development Bank (ASX: ATB) is targeting a significant reduction in new infections of HIV/AIDS among the youth of Viet Nam, through a project backed by a grant of US$20 million.
The HIV/AIDS Prevention among Youth Project will support Government efforts in addressing the spread of the disease through an integrated plan involving mass media and community campaigns complemented by a comprehensive program of activities and services to bring about widespread behavior change among youth.
While Viet Nam has made significant progress toward achieving most of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the prospect of achieving MDG 6 for HIV/AIDS remains elusive, as the number of new infections grows annually and there is little sign of abatement.
Therefore, curbing the growth in the HIV.AIDS epidemic and mitigating the impact on individuals, families, communities, and society - including the economic costs - has been given high priority by the Government.
From fewer than 4,000 reported cases in 1995, the number of HIV/AIDS cases officially reported had risen to more than 104,000 by March 2006. However the actual number could be three times this figure. The main routes for infection are through high-risk behaviors - predominantly injecting drug use (accounting for 57% of cases) and among sex workers and the young men that are their clients, through whom the disease potentially makes its way to the general population.
With young people accounting for about one fifth of Viet Nam's population, the proportion of HIV infections in the 15-24 age group has been rising steadily, from about 10% of newly reported cases in 1994 to 40% in recent years.
"Young men and their high risk behavior, including drug use, alcohol consumption, and unsafe sex, are a driving force of Viet Nam's epidemic," says Lisa Studdert, an ADB Health Specialist based at ADB's field office in Viet Nam who is leading the project.
"To address the problem, the project will assist the Government in conducting a focused campaign to influence behavior that will boost access and use of condoms and knowledge of HIV/AIDS among youth, and fight dangerous practices such as needle sharing among drug users."
The program campaign will be conducted through TV, radio, and print media, including production of a TV drama series over three years, and will harness the people that influence youth, including popular entertainment and sports personalities.
The project will also support nongovernment organizations (NGOs) in 15 provinces in undertaking a related program of province-based, youth-focused activities, including community-based advocacy, peer education, life skills training, and improved access to harm reduction services.
Consistent with Viet Nam's national HIV/AIDS strategy, the project will provide leadership and strategy support to officials from community to national level to improve the policy environment for a youth focus in AIDS strategies.
"With the project calling for engagement with a wide variety of organizations and groups, it is hoped that activities will help build relationships between generations, NGOs, civil society, and government agencies against HIV/AIDS," Ms. Studdert adds.
"The result, hopefully, will be lower infection rates and greater knowledge among youth about how to avoid becoming infected with HIV/AIDS. The project targets 34,000 HIV infections being avoided over a 20-year period."
The project will be undertaken nationally as well as in 15 specific provinces over five years to around mid-2011.
Its total cost is about $26.7 million of which the Government is funding $6.7 million. ADB's grant comes from its Asian Development Fund, representing three quarters of the project cost.
The Viet Nam Commission for Population, Family and Children is the executing agency.
Contact
Floyd Whaley
Email: fwhaley@adb.org
Tel:+632 632 6848; +63 9717 888 6848
Graham Dwyer
Email: gdwyer@adb.org
Tel:+632 632 5253; +632 898 3413; +63 915 741 4363
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