United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Viet Nam

One of UNODC’s major objectives in Viet Nam is to address the negative social and health consequences of the link between injecting drug use and HIV/AIDS transmission.

In the past
The Most important landmark of UNODC’s HIV/AIDS prevention activities in Viet Nam is the launching of the project AD/VIE/97/B07

Strengthening National Capacity for Prevention of Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS among High-risk Target Groups in 1998. This is a UNODC/UNAIDS cost-sharing project which was implemented in three years from 1998 to 2000.

The project is a unique success in breaking through the then prevailing conservative approach by initiating the first-ever harm reduction programme in the country. Taking
into account the peculiarities of the country, the project adopted the most creative and relevant approach to apply peer education while promoting the involvement of the local police who became supportive to the intervention activities at the community level. The project has set a successful example of drug related harm reduction intervention model in Viet Nam, and paved the way for more programmes to take place in the country ever since.

Although two demand reduction projects AD/VIE/98/B52 on drug abuse prevention in schools and AD/VIE/98/B93 on drug treatment and rehabilitation which were implemented in 1998-2000 did not directly address HIV/AIDS prevention issues, awareness about drug problems associated with HIV/AIDS transmission were strongly enhanced through training activities. The community-based pilot intervention modality of mutual and self-help groups initiated in the project VIE/B93 has led to the creation of 82 post-treatment clubs in Ha Noi City. All the club members are recovering drug users who volunteer to carry out peer education and drug/HIV prevention outreach activity in their community. The clubs are named ‘B93 Clubs’ in recognition of the success of the initiative.

UNAIDS PAF Project AD/VIE/01/F82 to Improve Risk Reduction Programmes through Research into IDUs’ Behaviours and Support to People living with HIV/AIDS. The project immediate objective was to assess HIV and other health risks associated with injecting drug users and develop effective intervention for HIV prevention among injecting drug users in the selected provinces. The project provided a basis for intervention and prevention of HIV/AIDS transmission through an improved understanding of drug use and high-risk behaviors associated with HIV/AIDS transmission.

UNAIDS PAF Project VIE/03/G61 - Strengthening the Existing Working Models and Establishing a New Innovative Partnership with Local NGO for Community-based Prevention of High-risk Behaviour Related to IDUs. The objective is to strengthen existing capacities among relevant stakeholders for the reduction of HIV transmission from the IDUs and pilot prevention of drug use among vulnerable adolescents at community level through continued technical assistance. The project implementation was arranged through two main
counterparts, namely the Vietnamese Community Mobilization Centre for HIV/AIDS Control (VICOMC), and the Da Nang Centre for Preventive Medicine.

VICOMC carried out the project activities in 11 project sites in 5 cities and provinces:
Thai Nguyen, Nghe An, Hai Phong, Ha Noi and Lang Son. Efforts were focused on drug-related harm reduction activities to prevent HIV transmission among injecting drug users and drug use among vulnerable adolescents. The project activities included peer educators raining on communication skills; involvement of the local authorities with a view to enhancing awareness about harm reduction and supports to the project’s outreach activities; distribution of disposable and clean syringes, condoms, and disseminating information about drugs and HIV/AIDS prevention to drug users and vulnerable adolescents.

A baseline KABP survey on drug abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention among three target groups of total 800 persons was conducted in Da Nang City. 212 project facilitators to implement the project were selected and trained.

Intervention activities were carried out among three target groups of drug addicts, students and out-of-school young people. Training on drug abuse / HIV prevention, behaviour change communication (BCC) and counseling skills was provided to the drug addicts in the 05-06
Centre. 20 anti-drug clubs were established in Hai Chau and Thanh Khe districts, with around 15-30 members each. In one year, the clubs had 120 meetings with total 4,200 participations.

12,960 condoms, 200 disposable syringes and 25,000 BCC leaflets were distributed.

At present

Project VIE/01/B85 and its extension phase VIE/04/H61 on Drug Abuse Prevention among
Ethnic Minorities in Viet Nam aim at preventing drug use and drug-related harms among the many remote ethnic minority populations in the rural highland border provinces of Vietnam. In the first phase, the project has successfully developed and initiated an original and unique programme for a common donor response to drug use and drug-related harm problems among six remote ethnic minority communities in three highland border provinces, namely Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Son La. Coordination and cooperation agreements surrounding the adoption and implementation of ‘best practice’ drug demand and harm reduction intervention activities have been arranged with other INGOs, NGOs, UN and government agencies and organizations.

These agreements addressed needs related to technical assistance and training surrounding the organization, development and support of local drug use and harm prevention, intervention, and treatment and rehabilitation measures. Additional support through the extension phase is to enhance and sustain the cooperative network of action and support within the current project communities, and to allow for the scaling-up of the project model and activities to surrounding communes and districts in these remote areas. This project is the first one of its kind addressing these concerns within these remote, poor and marginalized border populations.


Project AD/VIE/03/H05 - Comprehensive drug prevention through communications and community mobilization. The project is a comprehensive drug prevention program based on 5 key strategic components of communications, capacity building, community mobilization, coordination and collaboration. Primary prevention of drug abuse and associated HIV/AIDS will be carried out through enhancement and integration of information and communication by mass communication campaigns and outreach activities. The project will involve a combination of mass media activity and pilot community-based drug and HIV prevention programs in 5 selected sites.

In future

Project AD/VIE/04/H68 - Diversification of Services for Drug Abusers at Community and Institutional Level. The project is composed of two components, one is addressing the need for capacity building in government run institutionalized treatment centres, the second addresses the urgent need for support to community-based treatment and rehabilitation. Both components address the need for innovative approaches to treatment and rehabilitation and the need for a variety of services, while building on best practices resultant from previous UNODC projects as well as government-led community treatment services. The project also addresses the need rnuooH/Dpvtnmg r e.

UNAIDS PAF Project VNM/I66 - HIV Preventive Education in Drug Treatment Centres in Viet Nam. The project aims to contribute to the reduction of the transmission of mainly HIV, but also STIs and other bloodborne disease (e.g Hepatitis C), both in the treatment centres and into the wider community, to enhance the capacity of the treatment centre staff including medical staff and social workers) to develop and provide appropriate prevention activities for those who are infected with HIV, by outlining effective management options and to improve occupational health and safety, and prevention practices of the staff. This initiative is carried out in collaboration with WHO, as the educational tool to be used is being developed by WHO, and it targets the inmates, the staff and the management at drug treatment facilities. UNODC will build on this work, field test the programme, improve the content as appropriate, and roll out the educational curricula on a wider scale.

Contact (to be updated)

(Updated July 2005)