Vietnam Operational Plan Report Fy 2013

Publisher Marketing: During the first phase of PEPFAR, OGAC identified Vietnam as a focus country for ARV treatment scale-up. Since its launch in 2005, PEPFAR has been the leading funding source for HIV prevention, care and treatment services in Vietnam. In 2013, PEPFAR Vietnam (PEPFAR VN) will remain a cornerstone of the U. S. Mission's health diplomacy effort and will continue to underwrite over 80% of the national response. At the end of PEPFAR's second phase, the PEPFAR VN team has been guided by OGAC to transition the program from a direct service delivery model to one with greater focus on technical assistance (TA). This entails identifying not only program elements that can be streamlined and improved for greater cost-efficiency and quality, but also a specific transition process of human resources and commodities, particularly ARVs. Concurrent with significant decreases in available PEPFAR resources since FY 2010, the USG has taken an aggressive role to improve harmonization of all available HIV/AIDS resources, both Government of Vietnam (GVN) and donor, in Vietnam to help ensure a sustainable national HIV/AIDS response that is embedded within the broader healthcare and social work system. In 2011, HIV/AIDS was designated by the GVN as a National Targeted Program (NTP) with $12.2 million allocated in 2012. Due to Vietnam's worsening economic outlook, funding for the NTP will be reduced to $10 million for 2013. This is a serious setback for the government's co-financing contribution, especially as it follows their announcement last year of a planned annual 20% increase for the HIV/AIDS NTP. Nevertheless, with Vietnam's status as a lower-middle income country, many donors in the health sector are reducing or withdrawing aid. Following an unexpected one-year extension, World Bank/DfID support for Vietnam's harm reduction efforts will conclude in December 2013. The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) has already ended its support for Early Infant Diagnosis and pediatric ARVs. After PEPFAR, the second-largest source of funding for HIV/AIDS in Vietnam is the Global Fund. To date, Vietnam has been awarded $119 million for HIV/AIDS through the Global Fund, of which over 70% has been disbursed to the country. The Global Fund is currently reviewing Vietnam's Phase 2 Single Stream of Funding submission, which would extend the current grant to 2015.