Regulations on provision and guidance for use of clean needles and syringes in Vietnam

Regulations on provision and guidance for use of clean needles and syringes in Vietnam (Internet image)

Article 9 of Decree 108/2007/ND-CP stipulates the provision and guidance for use of clean needles and syringes for injecting drug users by outreach workers in Vietnam as follows:

- Clean needles and syringes are provided free of charge under programs and projects to injecting drug users by outreach workers holding cards or through the network of clean needles and syringes distribution points. Needles and syringes stated in Clause 1 of this Article must have the phrase “For free distribution only, not for sale” on their packings or supplementary labels.

- When distributing clean needles and syringes to injecting drug users, outreach workers shall:

+ Instruct the safe use of needles and syringes;

+ Distribute correct quantities of clean needles and syringes provided by the program or project, and collect all used ones in safe hard-shell containers and carry them to prescribed places for destruction in accordance with the law on waste disposal;

- Injecting drug users shall collect used needles and syringes and hand them to outreach workers according to the regulations in Vietnam.

- Programs and projects may expand their fixed or mobile networks of providing clean needles and syringes at HIV/AIDS prevention and control centers, provincial- and district-level preventive medicine centers, drug stores, voluntary counselling and testing centers and other appropriate sites.

- People’s Committees at all levels and polices of the same level are responsible for creating favorable conditions for programs and projects to operate and develop clean needle and syringe distribution points in their localities.

More details can be found in Decree 108/2007/ND-CP of Vietnam which comes into force from August 7, 2007.

Ty Na

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