United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Viet Nam

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has been working with the Government of Viet Nam in the fight against HIV/AIDS since 1992. It supported the establishment of the once multisectoral national AIDS committee and helped strengthen its capacity. UNDP Viet Nam has also been actively engaged in coordination activities through the UN Theme Group and the establishment of the Community of Concerned Partners, a forum to facilitate national policy dialogue and coordinate advocacy and other efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in Viet Nam. Together with its national and international partners, UNDP has been advocating for a comprehensive and multisectoral approach to reduce and prevent HIV/AIDS in Viet Nam.

Among other issues, this has included new and sustainable livelihoods and care services for those infected; macro policies that take into account increased health care and social security costs as well as the microeconomic impact of HIV/AIDS on household vulnerability and poverty; adjustments to drug pricing regimes in the context of WTO regulations; adequate human right-based legislation, including anti-discrimination laws in the workplace; and the empowerment of women to ensure they can avoid unsafe sexual practices.

Recently, UNDP has been supporting several HIV/AIDS initiatives, one of which helped enhance the management and coordination capacity of the National AIDS Standing Bureau, evaluate the National AIDS Programme, and develop Viet Nam’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy and other policy documents. Another initiative helped strengthened the capacity of the Viet Nam Youth Union to develop and implement community-based information, education and communication (IEC) programmes and activities to promote behavioural change.

Currently, UNDP Hanoi is focusing on strengthening HIV/AIDS leadership capacities of the Communist Party of Viet Nam as well as the National Assembly and related organisations and authorities in An Giang, Khanh Hoa, and Lang Son in formulating policies and the wider legal framework in implementing a multisectoral collaboration approach to HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Some major outcomes of this initiative will be the new Party Directive on HIV/AIDS, the new HIV/AIDS law, integration of HIV/AIDS into socio-economic development plans, as well as a new and “renovated” approach to IEC through the mass media and other channels.

Contact: (to be updated)

(Updated June 2005)