On the morning of June 17, the delegation of World Health Organization (WHO) visited Vietnam National Children’s Hospital to evaluate the program “Prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission” supported by the Global Fund of 2024-2026 period”. In this time, WHO identifies the challenges and gaps in connecting with the preventive treatment program for HIV-infected mothers and children born to infected mothers, thereby providing practical support to Vietnam in the near future.
The Global Fund provides Vietnam with significant resources in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
The delegation included Associate Professor Angela Kelly-Hanku – Head of Global Heath Equity and Justice Research group, representatives of the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention, representatives of WHO in Vietnam, as well as representatives of the Project Management Unit of the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS Prevention for the 2024-2026 period.
Associate Professor Dr. Angela Kelly-Hanku was pleasured to visit Vietnam National Children’s Hospital.
On the hospital’s side, the delegation was welcomed by Dr. Cao Viet Tung, Vice Director of Vietnam National Children’s Hospital, the representatives from Tropical Diseases Center, Neonatal Care Center, Biomolecular for Infectious Disease Department, Hematology Department, and HIV outpatient clinic.
Dr. Cao Viet Tung, Vice Director of the hospital, warmly welcomed and shared with the experts the results of monitoring and managing HIV-infected children at the hospital.
Mother-to-child transmission is one of the three main routes of HIV transmission, which can occur during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. The national campaign on preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission was first launched 2009. Over the past 15 years, it has shown a significant reduction in the number of children infected with HIV through mother-to-child transmission. Many HIV-infected women have also been detected early and treated in a timely manner, contributing to reducing the HIV infection rate in Vietnam.
However, there are still gaps that the preventive program has not yet reached in rural, mountainous, and remote areas. Therefore, during the meeting, Vietnam National Children’s Hospital and the experts of WHO discussed how to assess the implementation of the mother-to-child transmission prevention program and eliminate barriers in testing and preventive treatment. It will help WHO to implement policies and projects to support Vietnam in enhancing the program’s coverage.
According to Dr. Nguyen Van Lam, Director of the Tropical Diseases Center of Vietnam National Children’s Hospital, the HIV outpatient clinic of the Center has monitored 1,220 HIV-infected children since 2004. In the period of 2023-2024, there were 337 children, including 125 exposed cases. The number of children born to HIV-infected mothers was decreased in comparison to last year.
Dr. Nguyen Van Lam reported on HIV monitoring and treatment data at the hospital
Additionally, Associate Professor Phung Thi Bich Thuy, head of the Biomolecular for Infectious Disease Department, stated that Vietnam National Children’s Hospital has the capacity to perform full qualitative HIV PCR tests and viral load measurements. However, geographical barriers and health insurance issues make it difficult for patients in rural and mountainous areas to access services.
Associate Professor Phung Thi Bich Thuy discussed HIV diagnostic tests with the WHO delegation.
Dr. Le Thi Ha, Director of the Neonatal Care Center, also shared with WHO the processes of receiving, detecting, controlling, and caring for children infected with HIV from mother-to-child transmission, along with the challenges in dealing with HIV and other mother-to-child transmitted diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and hepatitis B.
The delegation of WHO also visited the Tropical Diseases Center at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital.
The WHO experts agreed with the monitoring and treatment methods for HIV in children at Vietnam National Children’s Hospital. The delegation said that the information shared by the hospital would be very helpful for WHO in evaluating the mother-to-child transmission prevention program.
As a result, WHO and the Global Fund will develop more practical support policies for this program during the 2024-2026 period, helping Vietnam maintain its achievements and meet the goals of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
