Priority subjects for HIV detection and surveillance in Vietnam

Priority subjects for HIV detection surveillance in Vietnam (Internet image)

The Minister of Health of Vietnam promulgated Circular 07/2023/TT-BYT dated April 4, 2023, guiding the process and methods of HIV/AIDS epidemiological surveillance and surveillance of sexually transmitted diseases.

1. What is HIV surveillance?

According to Clause 1, Article 2 of Circular 07/2023/TT-BYT, HIV surveillance is the collection of information on HIV/AIDS epidemiological indicators of different risk groups to detect HIV infections.

2. Priority subjects for HIV detection surveillance in Vietnam

Specifically, in Clause 2, Article 3 of Circular 07/2023/TT-BYT, the priority subjects of HIV infection surveillance include:

(i) Drug users;

(ii) Sex workers;

(iii) Persons who have sex with men;

(iv) Transgender people;

(v) Wife, husband, and other family members living with an HIV positive person; spouses of the subjects specified in (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv);

(vi) Persons who have had sex with an HIV-infected person;

(vii) Persons suffering from sexually transmitted diseases;

(viii) Mobile people;

(ix) People with tuberculosis;

(x) People with clinical symptoms of HIV/AIDS infection;

(xi) Inmates, detainees, and campers of compulsory education institutions, reformatory school students, and students of drug addiction treatment establishments;

(xii) Other subjects.

(Currently, Circular 09/2012/TT-BYT stipulates that HIV detection monitoring subjects include: HIV-tested persons; AIDS patients; HIV-infected people who die).

3. Methods of surveillance to detect HIV infection in Vietnam

Methods of surveillance for HIV infection include:

- Counseling before and after HIV testing;

- HIV testing;

- Collecting, synthesizing, and reporting on HIV/AIDS epidemiological indicators.

(Clause 1, Article 3 of Circular 07/2023/TT-BYT)

4. Process of information management for people living with HIV who are being treated for HIV/AIDS in Vietnam

The process of managing information about people living with HIV who are receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS is implemented as follows:

(1) After an HIV-infected person enters a treatment facility or is in the course of HIV/AIDS treatment, the HIV/AIDS treatment facility shall notify HIV/AIDS treatment information of the HIV-infected person prescribed in Appendix 2 issued together with Circular 07/2023/TT-BYT for HIV/AIDS epidemic monitoring agency.

HIV/AIDS treatment establishments affiliated with ministries or branches shall notify information about HIV-infected people undergoing HIV/AIDS treatment to the provincial HIV/AIDS epidemic monitoring agency where the local HIV/AIDS treatment facility is located. table.

(2) After receiving information about HIV-infected people receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS, the provincial HIV/AIDS epidemic monitoring agency shall assign a focal point officer in HIV/AIDS epidemic surveillance to:

- Update information on HIV/AIDS treatment of people living with HIV specified in Appendix 2 issued together with Circular 07/2023/TT-BYT to the HIV-INFO system;

- Review and compare information on HIV-infected people receiving HIV/AIDS treatment for the first time with HIV/AIDS treatment data on the HIV-INFO system;

- Notify the district-level HIV/AIDS monitoring agency where the HIV-infected person is living or permanently residing on the HIV-INFO system of the list of HIV-infected people undergoing HIV/AIDS treatment.

- Report on HIV/AIDS treatment of people living with HIV to the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control and the Regional Institute.

(3) After receiving information on the HIV/AIDS treatment of HIV-infected people, the district-level HIV/AIDS epidemic monitoring agency shall assign a focal point to monitor the HIV/AIDS epidemic to:

- Update information on HIV/AIDS treatment of people living with HIV as specified at Point a, Clause 2, Article 9 of Circular 07/2023/TT-BYT, and send reports on HIV/AIDS treatment of people living with HIV to the provincial HIV/AIDS epidemic monitoring agency;

- Notify the Commune Health Station of the list of HIV-infected people receiving HIV/AIDS treatment.

- Review and compare information on HIV-infected people receiving HIV/AIDS treatment for the first time with HIV/AIDS treatment data on the HIV-INFO system.

(4) After receiving information about HIV-infected people being treated for HIV/AIDS, the Commune Health Station assigns a focal point to monitor the HIV/AIDS epidemic and update the information on the HIV-INFO system.

(5) After receiving information about HIV-infected people being treated for HIV/AIDS, the Regional Institutes shall assign a focal point staff for HIV/AIDS epidemic surveillance to perform:

- Update information on HIV/AIDS treatment of people living with HIV specified at Point a, Clause 2, Article 9 of Circular 07/2023/TT-BYT, and report on HIV/AIDS treatment of people living with HIV to the HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Department;

- Review information on HIV-infected people being treated for HIV/AIDS in their respective localities on the HIV-INFO system.

(6) After receiving information about HIV-infected people being treated for HIV/AIDS, the Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control shall assign a focal point staff to monitor the HIV/AIDS epidemic and perform the following:

- Update information on HIV/AIDS treatment of people living with HIV as specified at Point a, Clause 2, Article 9 of Circular 07/2023/TT-BYT;

- Review and provide feedback on information on HIV-infected people receiving HIV/AIDS treatment nationwide on the HIV-INFO system to HIV/AIDS epidemic monitoring agencies (if any).

(Article 9 of Circular 07/2023/TT-BYT)

Circular 07/2023/TT-BYT takes effect from June 1, 2023 and replaces Circular 09/2012/TT-BYT .

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