Medal presented to UNAIDS Country Coordinator

By: Bui Quang

Source: VietnamNet: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/2005/10/501639/

VietNamNet – The Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) has honoured Nancy Fee, coordinator of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

Nancy Fee was awarded Medal for the Advancement of Vietnamese Women yesterday, October 18 for her contribution to the struggle against HIV/AIDS in Vietnam.

Ms Fee came to Vietnam in 2003 to work as coordinator of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AID (UNAIDS). Since then she has positively participated in the compilation of a national strategy on HIV/AIDS control in 2005-2010 and the Vision to 2020.

She has also been involved in guiding HIV/AIDS control programmes of various government and party organisations.

In her early days in Vietnam, Fee positively supported HIV/AIDS control activities of the Vietnam Women’s Union, and her voice has encouraged Vietnamese women to be more vigilant in protecting themselves and their families from the disease.

She has added gender and HIV/AIDS awareness issues to national and international seminars to warn of the danger of transmission of HIV/AIDS to women and children. Nancy has also taken part in numerous activities promoting gender equality in caring and assisting HIV patients.

Honouring her contributions, the Vietnam Women’s Union presented Fee with its most valuable award, the Medal for the Advancement of Vietnamese Women.

Born in the US, Fee, 50, said that Vietnam has become her second home, where she sees her colleagues and Vietnamese women as her relatives.

Before assuming the post in Vietnam, she worked for the UN in India and Africa, in the areas of development for women and youth, public health, and prevention of HIV/AIDS. In 1994, she became an international consultant for the World Health Organisation’s HIV/AIDS programme and various non-government organisations in Africa.