This is a continuing activity from FY07. The only changes to the activity since approval in the FY07 COP

are:

• The US DOD's Pacific Command (PACOM) will assess current space for PMTCT activities and will fund

renovations that improve service capacity.

• This activity will also include the procurement of consumables, such as HIV test kits and supplies.

FY07 Activity Narrative:

The Center of Excellence - DMHA, the executing agent for US DOD's Pacific Command, will provide

program oversight and coordination of activities with DOD partners and the Vietnam Ministry of Defense.

Requested funds will be used to cover costs incurred by the DOD HIV Prevention and Treatment team, in

provision of technical oversight, program design, implementation and evaluation of PMTCT activities.

This is a continuing activity from FY07.

Major changes to this activity since approval in the FY07 COP are:

• Geographic coverage will be expanded to four new sites, to include infrastructural improvements for

enhanced blood storage, enhanced human and laboratory screening capacity at Military Hospitals 7a (Ho

Chi Minh City), 108 (Hanoi), 87 (Nha Trang), and Navy Hospital (Hai Phong).

• A blood safety component has been integrated that is budgeted in this activity and includes the following

elements:

- Provision of blood safety training for 120 individuals that is consistent with national plans and policies,

while national guidelines for blood collection, screening, storage, and transfusion are completed

- Extend application of a quality assurance (QA) system to cover all stages of the transfusion process at all

PEPFAR-supported sites

- Enhance infrastructural and technical capacity at Military Hospital 108 to be the MOD blood bank and to

oversee QA and quality control (QC) activities for all military sites

- Promotion of voluntary, non-remunerated blood-donation

- Coordination strengthening between key partners

• Significant progress to date includes:

- Increased storage and screening capacity at four MOD sites: Military Hospitals 103 (Hanoi), 175 (HCMC),

and 17 (Danang). A fourth site, Hospital 121 (Can Tho) will be completed at the end of this year.

- Linkages between blood screening and counseling and testing formalized at four sites

- Increased voluntary blood-donation through partnership between Military Medical Department and Youth

Union. In FY06 MOD conducted two additional voluntary blood drives.

FY07 Activity Narrative:

The objectives of the US Department of Defense (DOD) and Vietnam Ministry of Defense (MOD) blood

safety program are: to establish the standard for HIV blood safety within the MOD healthcare system; to

promote a robust, voluntary blood donor program; to support the establishment of sustainable, quality-

focused blood safety programs; and to strengthen linkage of blood safety, appropriate HIV counseling and

testing, and referral for identified HIV positive persons. The number of DOD-supported service outlets

carrying out blood safety activities this year will reach 4, and 60 individuals will receive training.

The Center of Excellence (COE) will implement the following activities with technical assistance (TA) from

other agents of the US military (components of US PACOM, Armed Forces Research Institute for Medical

Sciences and US Army Blood Program): evaluation of laboratory sites, procurement of key equipment and

supplies, training of laboratory workers, implementation of planned physical and technological upgrades,

support for the development and implementation of additional communication materials, community

engagement for voluntary blood drives, renovation of blood transfusion facilities, and establishment of a

counseling and referral system at Military Hospitals 121 in Can Tho and 17 in Danang.

Consistent with needs expressed by the host country's implementing partner, MOD, and the lack of

resources provided by other donors, support for blood safety activities at sites identified in FY05 and FY06

will continue with quality management for HIV diagnosis, and maintain linkage for the counseling and

referral system. In addition, the US Army Blood Program and the US PACOM staff will provide technical

assistance to MOD blood safety programs through a joint workshop. A key activity in FY07 will be the

development of a voluntary blood donor program within the MOD system, which will replace the existing

dependence on paid blood donors over time. Support will be provided for community volunteer blood drives.

Finally, site visits to Military Hospitals 121 and 17 will be undertaken to assess HIV blood safety and

counseling and testing needs. Plans for renovation will be obtained as needed and appropriate equipment

ordered.

This blood safety program was included in FY05 and FY06 COP and has been linked to counseling and

testing services for HIV testing at blood banks and military treatment facilities (Military Hospitals 103 in

Hanoi, 175 in Ho Chi Minh City). HIV-positive persons identified at these sites will be referred to the

treatment programs located at these facilities. In addition, the trained staff at the centers will be able to

assist other hospital staff in providing appropriate counseling services to persons receiving HIV tests.

Blood safety will address 1 of the 9 action areas established by the Government of Vietnam (GVN) in the

Vietnam National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

This is continuing activity from FY07. The narrative references to targets and budgets have been updated.

The only other changes to the activity since approval in the FY07 COP are:

• In FY08, prevention activities with the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Ministry of Public Security

(MPS), which began with UNAIDS in FY04 and FY05, will be scaled up and will require additional technical

assistance (TA) from DOD team and partners. To strengthen continuing activities, ensure successful

expansion, and integrate new program components, support for prevention activities will include the

following:

-Provision of activity design, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, as well as program oversight and

management.

-Revision of training and IEC materials to reach career service members.

-Introduction of different concepts and models that have been used by the US military to promote risk

reduction and to target potential problems with substance abuse, including alcohol, before they become

crises for uniformed personnel and their family members.

• In FY07, DOD's support of a short term consultancy for the 06 pilot program had left a gap in DOD's plan

for that year. To fill this gap, a portion of FY08 funds will be used to support DOD's planned FY07 activity.

FY07 Activity Narrative:

The Center of Excellence-DMHA, the executing agent for US DOD's Pacific Command, will provide program

oversight and coordination of activities with DOD partners and the Vietnam Ministry of Defense. Requested

funds will be used to cover costs incurred by the DOD HIV Prevention and Treatment team, in provision of

technical oversight, program design, implementation and evaluation of program activities, including official

travel and logistical support. Funds will also cover one full time LES Program Officer, including salaries

benefits, official travel and percentages of ICASS.

This is a new activity in FY08.

The Center of Excellence - DMHA, the executing agent for US DOD's Pacific Command, will provide

program oversight and coordination of activities with DOD partners and the Vietnam Ministry of Defense.

Requested funds will be used to cover costs incurred by the DOD team, in provision of technical assistance,

program design, implementation and evaluation of TB activities. Funds will also be used for procurement of

consumables, HIV test kits and supplies.

This is a continuing activity from FY07. The narrative references to targets and budgets have been updated

to reflect anticipated inflation. There are no changes to the activity since approval in the FY07 COP.

FY07 Activity Narrative:

The Center of Excellence - DMHA, the executing agent for US DOD's Pacific Command, will provide

program oversight and coordination of activities with DOD partners and the Vietnam Ministry of Defense.

Technical assistance and oversight will be provided for program design, implementation and evaluation of

CT activities. Funds will cover official travel and cost incurred by the DOD HIV Prevention and Treatment

team.

This is a continuing activity from FY07. The only changes to the activity since approval in the FY07 COP

are:

• Treatment activities with the Ministry of Defense (MOD) will be scaling up and ART through the Ministry of

Public Security (MOPS) will be initiated in FY08. To ensure success, additional technical assistance (TA)

from DOD team and partners is needed to sustain and expand the treatment program. DOD team will assist

MOD and MOPS in activity design, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, as well as program oversight and

management. Support will be provided for four existing MOD sites and five additional MOD and MOPS

sites.

• Renovation is planned for existing and new treatment sites, to create necessary clinical space. This

includes following standards that have been established by other PEPFAR partners and the Ministry of

Health (MOH). DOD staff will work with MOD and MOPS to ensure that sites meet national standard and

services follow guidelines established by MOH.

• TA will be provided to enhance and expand existing referral networks at existing and new sites, and link

services available at MOD, MOPS and MOH sites.

• DOD team will promote and strengthen the roles and responsibilities of nurses as essential healthcare

providers for HIV/AIDS patient care and treatment. Concurrent with advocating for in-service training, DOD

team will also work with MOD to establish pre-service training, to ensure that the solution is sustainable.

• In FY07, DOD supported a short-term consultancy for the 06 pilot program, creating a need to fund some

FY07 planned activities with FY08 funds.

FY07 Activity Narrative:

The Center of Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (COE), the executing

agent for US DOD's Pacific Command, will provide program oversight and coordination of activities with

DOD partners and the Vietnam Ministry of Defense. Requested funds will be used to cover costs incurred

by the DOD HIV Prevention and Treatment team, in provision of technical oversight, program design,

implementation and evaluation of program activities, including official travel and logistical support. Funds

will also cover a percentage of salary, benefits, and official travel of one LES Program Officer.

This is a continuing activity from FY07. The U.S. Pacific Command's Center of Excellence (COE) will work

in partnership with Vietnam's Ministry of Defense (MOD) to promote policy development and leadership in

HIV/AIDS within the MOD by supporting participation of key military leaders at workshops and training

programs.

In FY08, this activity will support the participation of six key military leaders in international conferences,

training programs, and professional exchanges. This activity will enable military leaders to engage in

dialogues on policies with the international military and civilian communities. Four international meetings,

including a regional HIV/AIDS conference, the International AIDS Conference, the PEPFAR Implementer's

Meeting, and the Asia Pacific Military Medicine Conference, will provide a forum for professional exchange

of information and will serve as platforms for MOD officers to share ideas and best practices in HIV/AIDS

policy development. It is expected that these exchanges will promote documentation and experience

sharing of MOD's work on HIV issues, and will support linkages with regional and international military

medicine and HIV activities.

The international military community offers a variety of perspectives and policies that MOD can explore and

reference to address HIV/AIDS with its own troops and the civilians served within the military healthcare

system. PEPFAR funding will promote exchanges to enable MOD to explore what other militaries offer as

evidence-based solutions and share their own experiences with HIV/AIDS activities. This will engage MOD

leadership in the HIV/AIDS international dialogue and is expected to sustain support for other critical HIV

activities, such as capacity building for counseling and testing and care and treatment within the military

healthcare system. These exchanges and similar engagements will be planned with MOD and their military

counterparts in the Asia-Pacific region.

As a result of this activity, MOD's capacity to develop evidence-based HIV-related policies will be

strengthened through a regional exchange of best practices. Technical consultation will be offered by the

COE medical team to provide oversight on program design, implementation, and evaluation. Specifically,

the leaders selected for training will be provided with technical consultations on how MOD can improve its

HIV-related institutional capacity. This component will include technical assistance on ways to systematize

the documentation and sharing of HIV/AIDS-related experiences. A total of six key military leaders will

receive training in HIV policy development and institutional capacity building. Funds will also support

technical consultation for this program area, as well as cover travel costs for USG personnel to attend

international conferences, such as the PEPFAR Implementer's Meeting.

This is a continuing activity from FY07. Funds requested will support overall PEPFAR DOD program

management and oversight, including ongoing operations, management, procurement, coordination and

staff salaries, benefits and official travel costs for a USDH Program Manager and three locally hired

positions--a Program Management Assistant and two technical Program Officers. These funds will also be

used to pay for related office support including space rental, communications, equipment, miscellaneous

procurement of supplies and services, etc.

This is a continuing activity from FY07. The DOD program in Vietnam subscribes to ICASS services to

cover administrative and personnel costs associated with supporting one US direct hire and three LES. In

FY07 DOD ICASS charges were $65,000. The FY08 estimate for ICASS costs is $78,000.

This is a continuing activity from FY07. Funds will be used to contribute to the State Department's OBO

Capital Security Cost Sharing (CSCS) program for the PEPFAR/DOD team. The funds collected under this

program are used to provide the State Department Overseas Buildings Office funding to build and renovate

chanceries and consulates throughout the world. Costs are calculated based upon the per capita costs

associated with one US direct hire, and three LES housed in non controlled access areas within US

Embassy.