This activity is linked to MTCT UH (9727), HBHC UH (9555), HBHC COE (9595), and HTXS UH (9397).

This is a new activity in FY07 with prime partner the Vietnam Ministry of Defense (MOD). It will address MOD's goal of building human capacity and the PMTCT program within its health care delivery service system. Funds will be used to improve and increase the expertise and skills of military health care professionals to provide ante- and post-natal care to at-risk pregnant women and HIV-positive pregnant women to stop mother-to-child transmission. This will be accomplished through the training of 200 military health care providers from 3 main service outlets (Military Hospitals 103 in Hanoi, 175 in Ho Chi Minh City, and 121 in Can Tho City).

In collaboration with the Center of Excellence (COE), the MOD will organize and conduct 1 workshop, and 2 smaller, in-depth workshops for groups, targeting Ob/Gyn physicians, pediatricians, obstetric nurse practitioners, and midwives. These workshops will be held at key military medical facilities. This activity builds on the activity described in the PMTCT activity with prime partner University of Hawaii (UH), which will train the master trainers responsible for the present activity.

Components of this activity will build human capacity within the MOD health care delivery system as well as complement UH's PMTCT activities. The long-term goals are to increase and improve the human medical resources for the Vietnamese Military community and the civilian population and to reduce mother-to-child transmission. Strengthening PMTCT will also addresses an aspect of the Vietnam's National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

This activity is linked to HVOP MOD (9478), HVOP UNAIDS (9477), OHPS MOD (9426), OHPS UNAIDS (9542), and HVAB UNAIDS (9489).

In collaboration with the US Pacific Command (PACOM), Center of Excellence (COE), the Vietnam Ministry of Defense (MOD) will continue with HIV prevention activities for members of the uniformed services. The MOD will train 300 peer educators to reach 15,000 recruits and 80,000 upstream service members. An additional 200,000 upstream military dependents will receive AB messages through PEPFAR supported peer education. As with many militaries worldwide, Vietnamese military personnel are considered an at-risk population because of factors such as young age, high mobility, separation from families, and potential exposure to commercial sex workers. Aggressive measures will address male norms and behaviors of this young, sexually-active group that may bridge HIV transmission to the general population. Promotion of abstinence or mutual faithfulness will be taught as a critical and effective means to reduce risk of HIV transmission.

The COE will support FY 07 MOD efforts in complement to MOD and UNAIDS peer-based prevention initiatives for military members. Based on proven and successful military models, the intervention incorporates several steps to reach recruits, existing military members and their families. In the first step, unit medics are trained as master trainers and peer educators. The master trainer medics train other peer-educators using life skills modules. Peer-educators then reach new recruits during regularly scheduled periods to foster discussion of HIV/AIDS. This dialogue extends beyond improved knowledge or awareness of HIV to provide individuals with motivation and skills to adopt safer behaviors. In line with the MOD prevention strategy, delayed sexual debut or mutual faithfulness are presented as the only certain means to prevent sexual transmission of HIV and recruits are advised of the risks involved with visiting sex workers. The program will be incorporated into basic training for recruits and at major unit installations. Educational materials will be distributed to educators and recruits, reinforcing the interpersonal communication.

PEPFAR funded interventions prioritize peer education at recruit training camps to target particularly young (18-22 years of age) and vulnerable recruits where efforts may affect a population level reduction in new infections. Other key military installations include special detachments and border camps where military personnel are stationed away from home for extended 6 to 24 month periods of time. All outreach will be linked to MOD counseling and testing centers and HIV care and treatment for military members and their dependents.

This activity is linked to HVAB MOD (9479), HVAB UNAIDS (9489), HVOP UNAIDS (9477), OHPS MOD (9426), and OHPS UNAIDS (9427).

This activity is a continuing collaboration between US Pacific Command (PACOM), Center of Excellence (COE) and the Vietnam Ministry of Defense (MOD) to support prevention interventions across all areas of abstinence and be faithful and other prevention for members of the uniformed services. PEPFAR will support the MOD to train 300 peer educators to reach 15,000 new recruits and 80,000 upstream service members. FY07 programs offer a comprehensive ABC approach to HIV prevention. Specific AB components are described in the complementary MOD AB narrative.

Through the PACOM/COE partnership with the MOD, PEPFAR will fund sustainable peer education in support of comprehensive ABC prevention programs for new recruits, service personnel and their family members. FY07 peer education components include development of training and educational materials in close cooperation with other PEPFAR partners, training of trainers (TOT), recruitment and training of 300 peer educators, and community based peer outreach activities for uniformed service members. These behavior change tools will address gender through male norms and behaviors that lead to risk for HIV infection. Peer education activities will extend beyond improved knowledge or awareness of HIV to provide individuals with motivation and skills to adopt safer behaviors in the context of youth, high mobility, family separation and easy access to commercial sex. Through improved commitment to HIV prevention (DOD Policy/System Strengthening), MOD will support appropriate correct and consistent condom use to promote HIV prevention.

This activity is linked to HBHC COE (9595), HBHC UH (9555), HTXS UH (9397), MTCT UH (9727), and MTCT MOD (9728).

This is a continued collaboration between the Center of Excellence (COE), executing agent for US Pacific Command (PACOM), and the Vietnam Ministry of Defense (MOD) to develop human capacity to address aspects of care and treatment at military medical facilities. The overall objective of this activity is to improve the quality of health care provided to HIV patients in clinics and to enhance the skill level, as well as the number of health care providers at military clinics and hospitals. In FY07, the MOD will conduct a workshop in anticipation of the scale-up of care and treatment services at MOD sites. With DOD partners, including University of Hawaii (UH) and other experts, this activity will transfer knowledge and competencies in HIV support services, infection control and universal precaution techniques to military hospital clinics providing or launching ARV and PMTCT services at 4 MOD sites. DOD will provide technical assistance (TA) to MOD for the development of the workshop, as well as for the development of a curriculum and training manual to be used to conduct other MOD-supported trainings. Two hundred health care providers will attend this workshop.

The MOD will also coordinate 2 mini workshops for 20 participants each focusing on HIV support services. These will be held in coordination with visiting professors from the UH and experts invited by COE. Topics to be covered include: training of patients and families prior to the initiation of ARV therapy; what to expect as patients are placed on ARV; what side effects to look out for; how to support the patient; why adherence is important; and techniques for ensuring good adherence. This activity will also complement other DOD partners' activities in training and support for both the military and civilian population receiving care and treatment at MOD sites.

This activity will continue the overall efforts to build the human resource capacity of the MOD health care system.

This activity is linked to HMBL COE (9496), HLAB AFRIMS (9502), MTCT MOD (9728), and MTCT UH (9727).

This activity is a continuation of program activities from the previous year with the Vietnam Ministry of Defense (MOD). Collaborating with the US Pacific Command (PACOM) Center of Excellence (COE), the MOD will continue to support 4 existing CT sites established in FY06 and establish 4 additional CT sites in FY07. This effort will include training for 150 healthcare professionals to ensure opt-out CT will be available to 25,000 individuals at 8 MOD CT centers. MOD will use the plus up funds seek for technical assistance from different domestic as well as international sources to improve quality of counseling and testing program. This will be done through providing on-site quality assurance and training.

In FY07 PEPFAR will continue to support CT activities at the Military Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology, Military Hospitals 103 (Hanoi), 175 (Ho Chi Minh City) and Military Zone 9's Preventive Medicine Center (Can Tho). In FY07, this activity will expand to 4 new sites at Military Hospitals 121 (Can Tho City), 17 (Danang) and Preventive Medicine Centers (PMC) for Military Zones 2, 3 and 5 covering Vietnam's northern and central provinces. Other components of this activity will ensure: training and technical support for health care providers; site renovation; a strong client referral system; and recording and reporting of confidential test results to COE. Training provided will also enhance general knowledge about legal rights for those getting testes and for PLWHA, as articulated in the new HIV/AIDS Law and the national guideline established for CT activities to reduce stigma and discrimination. The network of CT centers will be linked to MOD's treatment sites at military hospitals. The MOD is currently providing test kits to these sites and will continue to ensure that these sites are stocked.

Expanding CT activities to additional Military Hospitals and PMCs will also strengthen the referral network and allow more people to enroll in treatment.

This activity is linked to HVCT MOD (9510), HBHC MOD (9546), HBHC UH (9555), HBHC COE (9595), HTXS AFRIMS (9393), and HTXS UH (9397).

This is an ongoing activity between the US Pacific Command, Center of Excellence (COE) and prime partner the Vietnam Ministry of Defense (MOD). The overall objective of this activity is to introduce and/or reinforce key ARV treatment concepts and enhance skill level of health care providers at hospitals and clinics to scale up treatment and establish 2 additional MOD ARV sites in FY07. Through this activity and the US DOD supported ARV services activity, 260 persons will receive training on ARV administration/treatment.

The MOD will conduct several workshops with PEPFAR partners, including the University of Hawaii (UH) and other experts invited by the COE. One workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of ARV treatment. This will serve to introduce and/or reinforce key ARV treatment concepts and enhance skill levels of physicians. MOD health care providers who were trained as trainers in FY06 will conduct these workshops. MOD personnel will also develop a curriculum that follows the national standard treatment protocol and is appropriate for the military health care system. This curriculum will also be used for other MOD training sessions, targeting military medical personnel throughout the military medical system. Two hundred health care providers are expected to benefit from this workshop.

The MOD will also coordinate 2 mini workshops for 20 participants each to further develop ART skills through case studies and small group discussions facilitated by UH visiting professors. These visiting professors will work with MOD health care workers within the national guideline and at designated MOD ARV sites.

This activity will continue the overall efforts to build the human resources capacity of the MOD health care system.

This activity is linked to HVAB MOD (9479), HVAB UNAIDS (9489), HVOP MOD (9478), HVOP UNAIDS (9477), HBHC UH (9555), HBHC COE (9595), HTXS UH (9397), and MTCT UH (9727).

In FY04 and FY05, the collaboration between US Department of Defense (DOD) and Vietnamese Ministry of Defense (MOD) addressed policies on HIV/AIDS in the military and promoted awareness of HIV/AIDS for over 400 commanding officers in the Vietnam People's Army (VPA). As a result of this effort, the commanders recognize the importance of incorporating HIV/AIDS prevention messages as part of all training activities for their troops. The Center of Excellence (COE) and partner MOD will continue their collaboration to strengthen the Vietnamese military health care system, enabling it to address the specific needs of the military community and the civilian population it serves. This activity will have 2 components that will follow on and link to the previous years' activities.

With PEPFAR support, MOD will organize a workshop to promote an educational framework that incorporates information about HIV/AIDS as an integral and consistently applied part of the curriculum for all military academic and training institutions. Two-hundred policy makers and educators will be selected from various military zones throughout the country to participate in this workshop. It is expected that this activity will lead to greater commitment within the military community to increase awareness, knowledge and overall understanding about HIV/AIDS and its potential impact on the military population. This workshop is further designed to provide continuation for MOD's previous work in HIV/AIDS prevention and to address policies and practices that create awareness and to help prevent stigma and discrimination within the military community. Male norms associated with high-risk sexual behavior will also continue to be addressed.

A second workshop will be held for 200 policy makers and care providers, including directors of military hospitals/clinics, members of the nursing profession and ancillary health care providers, including pharmacists, counselors and nursing assistants. This activity will complement the DOD and MOD activities that are directly linked to expanding treatment coverage to additional patients and sites served by MOD. MOD recognizes the importance of planning for sustainability, particularly as ARV services within the military health care system are expanded. This workshop is intended to address the needs of the MOD to have a trained team of health care workers who can provide services across the network of HIV care and treatment and expand responsibilities for limited HIV/AIDS care and treatment to health care professionals outside of the military medical system. A team of 50 nurses within this group will receive targeted training developed exclusively for nurses. It is expected that this will lead to a more significant role for the military nurses and will also alleviate much of the burden that is assumed by the military physicians who are currently solely responsible for caring and treating HIV/AIDS patients at the established sites in Hanoi (Military Hospital 103) and Ho Chi Minh City (Military Hospital 175). As with the first workshop under this activity, policies on stigma and discrimination, including confidentiality, protection from workplace discrimination and medical access for military personnel who are HIV positive will be addressed.

The DOD care and treatment team along with the MOD, partners, including the Armed Forces Research Institute for Medical Sciences, the University of Hawaii, and others, will provide technical assistance in the design and implementation of these 2 workshops, such as developing guidance on workshop participants, curricula and trainers.

This activity supports PEPFAR's goal of increasing the number of individuals on ART and supportive care. It also addresses capacity building and international cooperation, the 9th Action Plan of Vietnam's National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS Prevention for 2004-2010.