USAID/LADDERS supports community-based organizations to reach out to the army for the first time.

USAID/LADDERS supports community-based organizations to reach out to the army for the first time.

HCMC – 17.11.2022 

LIFE Centre, implementing the LADDERS project, currently supports 32 community-based organizations and social enterprises (CBO/SEs) across ten provinces where they provide critical support and services to vulnerable people from all walks of life- including priority populations such as students, factory workers and young people in the army, etc. Typically, young male troops in the Vietnamese army have limited access to information, communications and services related to sex, safe sex practices, HIV/STIs, PrEP/PEP and ARV treatment.

In an effort to reach out to this potentially at-risk group, LADDERS supported the Gate CBO to successfully host an event named “In the troop backpack” attended by more than 150 soldiers of the 434th Brigade in coordination with the Women’s Academy and leadership of the Brigade Command. The young individuals were impressed, excited and inquisitive as the presenting experts and community outreach workers conveyed information and knowledge of sex, safe sex practices and HIV/STIs via interactions, games and sharing activities.

They all learned the importance of embracing themselves, regular health check-ups, condom use and HIV treatment as well as being informed about PrEP/PEP and the ability of the Gate CBO to offer these and potential other desired health services. “In the troop backpack” offered an idea for young armed forces to stay extra safe, healthy and ready to serve the country, which is highly appreciated by the leadership of the unit.

This specific breakthrough, opens windows and opportunities for upcoming initiatives and activities targeting new priority populations in the hope of providing information, knowledge and services related to HIV, safe sex practices and health-seeking habits. This also clearly proves the capacities and creativity power of a community-based organization in terms of expanding and maximizing the impact of their community work with given resources.

Figure 1 & 2. The event was attended by nearly 150 young soldiers, the Brigade Leaders, Life Centre and the Gate CBO.

Figure 3. The young soldiers were excited, interactive and might need more activities like ‘In the troop backpack’ to learn more about how to better take care of themselves and serve the best to the country.

USAID/LADDERS reflecting on 2022 and looking forward to 2023

USAID/LADDERS reflecting on 2022 and looking forward to 2023

Ho Chi Minh City, Dec 31

LADDERS has had a busy year in 2022 with plenty of start-up activity and building off the growth from the CLink Project funded by USAID previously. The USAID LADDERS Project, implemented by LIFE Centre, a local NGO based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, not only initiated this project across three provinces (Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, and Hanoi), but has also been working with other provinces (Can Tho and Kien Giang) following data review showing the migration patterns of clients found to be HIV positive and likely future provinces to help combat and control the HIV transmission affecting key populations.

LADDERS has collaborated with USAID EpiC to develop an assessment tool to assess the capacity building needs for 22 community-based organizations and social enterprises contracted under the LADDERS Project. This has provided baseline data to inform future technical assistance support to be provided and to assess their growth over the course of the Project. LADDERS has also worked with other USAID projects, EpiC, STEPS and INVEST, to support CBOs and SEs in assessing and reviewing their financial sustainability and planning for relevant support to be given across all USAID funded projects to maximize the available resources and avoid duplication/waste of effort. LADDERS has also launched a new model to help standardize CBOs quality of service provision and build their capacity to be self-sustaining entities through DOME.

In addition, LADDERS also recognized the growth of the success of the Community Public Partnership model (C2P), and expanded this model to include private sector actors both in the health field and beyond (such as education, labor, private business, etc.) to ensure an expanded reach in which to find future clients where they are. SAFE campaigns are among highlights of 2022 as LADDERS rolled out a series of online and offline activities communicating key messages on HIV testing and prevention, safe sex practices, health-seeking habits and HIV related services promotion. Each SAFE campaign targets a specific group of audience. SAFE- UNI reached out to thousands of young people in universities and vocational schools as well as high school students in HCMC, Ha Noi, Dong Nai, Can Tho and Kien Giang provinces. SAFE – ZONE offered HIV prevention services and commodities to hundreds of factory workers in 4 piloting enterprises while SAFE – AROUND U brought young key populations on multimedia platforms closer to CBO in terms of accessing information and services. These initiatives accentuated the coordination and engagement of all parties including the LADDERS team, CBOs, C2P+ partners and local authorities toward the common goal of ending AIDS.

In 2023, LADDERS hopes to continue and build on this success with the launching of an upgraded D.Health application to bring access to the hands of more people, expanding the services offered by DOMEs and increasing the number of DOMEs, providing further financial capacity building support for CBOs/SEs and optimizes the interoperability of health information systems.

LADDERS’ goal is to empower local stakeholders to provide and show impact in developing and delivering excellence, resilience and sustainability in Vietnam – 2022 has been a great start to this journey under the project and 2023 is set to continue this journey!

LIFE Centre LADDERS Team at LIFE annual meeting.

USAID/LADDERS takes collective effort to systemize community health information and data in Hanoi for a more effective HIV response in Vietnam.

USAID/LADDERS takes collective effort to systemize community health information and data in Hanoi for a more effective HIV response in Vietnam.

Hà Nội, Oct 13-14

For years, HIV outreach and testing activities have been tracked through separate health information systems, making it difficult to track individual clients across these various systems. In response, LADDERS updated its existing HIV testing and counseling health information system, based on excel templates and a mobile application, to enable community outreach workers to manage their respective data digitally and systematically. The newly branded D.Health application, used by CBOs in HCMC and Dong Nai province since 2020, is now available and accessible on both iOS and Android enabled devices. Last week, CBOs in Hanoi were introduced to the multi-purposed application in a 2-day training workshop. More than 30 lay testers were instructed through the use of the D.Health application with its features and interfaces which differ for clients, outreach workers, and CBO administrators.

Participants took the opportunity to practice with virtual accounts and get inquiries answered under mentorship and supervision of the SI team from LADDERS. Recognizing the change, moving from a paper to digital base, may seem hard at first, but with time and their familiarization this tool will prove to help optimize data collection, management, and use. CBO members who participated in the training are expected to utilize D.Health for ongoing data entry, reporting and use for their informed decision-making as well as the technical assistance to be provided by LADDERS.

With the use of D.Health among all CBOs under the LADDERS project, the goal is to streamline data collection processes and empower various HIV stakeholders to understand and respond to the changing needs of the epidemic, while managing reporting burden and facilitating its use to inform program improvements.

Figure 1. Life staff took turns to present and guide community participants through the technical use of the D.Health app.

Figure 2, 3. Through interactive games and simulation practices, community outreach workers got a better idea of how to use the app for themselves and their clients.

 

USAID/LADDERS excites young MSM for the Tet holiday celebration with SAFE AROUND U Tết campaign. 

USAID/LADDERS excites young MSM for the Tet holiday celebration with SAFE AROUND U Tết campaign. 

Tet 2023

The first “95” – identifying those with HIV – remains the most challenging to reach in Vietnam and trying to find innovative ways of tapping into key populations remains a focus in the response. LADDERS rolled out a massive campaign during the 2023 Tet holiday, utilizing the “SAFE Around U” campaign strategy to bring awareness to HIV. The online “SAFE AROUND U TẾT” campaign – Gói Tết, which commenced from Jan 15 and ran through and beyond the Tet holiday, consists of various multimedia materials communicating key messages on self-testing, self-love, PrEP, PEP, K=K [U=U], as well as promoting community-based HIV services. The recently upgraded D.Health application was also promoted as a tool during the campaign.

The media and materials were specifically targeting young men as either heart-felt short videos or propaganda posters with meaningful Tet-inspired captions were posted and shared by nearly 50 CBOs/SEs and a few popular youth-hyped fanpages and Tik Tok channels. So far, the Gói Tết campaign has been received and commented on by thousands of young people all around the country during the holiday via popular social media platforms like Facebook, Zalo and Tiktok. This activity hopes to remind and encourage MSM, particularly young MSM, to find their nearest CBO for HIV and health services including counseling, testing, self-test kits, referral and support. Potential clients that come to the site are provided with the information to link with the CBOs that may be the most convenient for them to access and utilize.

 Through this platform, and the ubiquitous use of social media among younger men, particularly MSM, messaging of the campaign to connect directly with those clients who would most benefit from the services is attained. By tailoring messaging, and not just tapping into the social media platforms, LADDERS hopes to optimize its outreach and assure better targeted support to more young MSM comfortable with testing and accessing client friendly services.

For more information about the campaign, kindly refer to this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1z3w7HYdFLrMbHStlMKCZmnVhI_Yk6YxK

 

Figure 1. Tet-inspired short videos were well received among young people on social media with thousands of views and likes.

Figure 2. Young MSM-hyped fanpages and platforms shared “SAFE AROUND U TÊT” materials, disseminating key messages even further out to young at-risk people nationwide.

Figure 3. An interactive game was played by a number of young MSM during the Tet holiday for engagement and promising ‘lì-xì’ (lucky money) for the new year.

USAID/LADDERS rolls out the Community-Public Partnership (C2P) model in Hanoi

USAID/LADDERS rolls out the Community-Public Partnership (C2P) model in Hanoi

Hanoi – 21.12.2022

The Community-Public Partnership (C2P) model has proven to be a successful model for leveraging community resources to increase client access to care and quality of care, and USAID is committed to supporting its scale-up to more areas of Vietnam. Last week, USAID in partnership with the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC) convened a C2P meeting to officially introduce the C2P model and facilitate the ‘C2P pair-up’ of a health facility and a community-based organization in Hanoi. The event was well attended by 60 participants from 6 district OPCs, 3 hospitals and 4 community clinics along with 9 CBOs under the LIFE/LADDERS project, discussing the possibility and feasibility of adopting and advancing the C2P model among health facilities and CBOs in Hanoi in the common goal of expanding HIV service delivery and optimizing client experience.

Hanoi CDC and LIFE Centre managed to engage the participants of all parties in a consensus to agree on a C2P roll-out program in Hanoi including having regular meetings to exchange data and updates, monitoring and reporting mechanisms and supplemental collaborative activities in 2023. By the end of the meeting, all health facilities have committed to initiating the strategic partnership with at least 1 CBO, opening the door for further discussion and official signing between parties under moderation and supervision of Hanoi CDC and LIFE Centre.

C2P results in improved access to HIV prevention and treatment services of populations at higher risk of living with HIV and confronting access barriers. It also enables mobilizing local resources to optimize reach and social services for clients to better identify cases in the community and facilitate linkage and maintenance to care. In addition, the model also supports optimizing opportunities and favorable conditions for CBOs’ financial sustainable development to maintain service delivery relating to HIV/STIs and other diseases. This adds tremendous values to realize USAID’s commitment to end AIDS and transition to sustainable local mechanisms/models. 

Figure 1. Dr. Lan Thi La – Vice Director of Hanoi CDC emphasized the critical role of community-based organizations as an extended hand to health facilities in HIV/AIDS response in Hanoi.

Figure 2. Hoang Mai OPC and Hoa Sen CBO shared experiences and lessons learned from their 2022 partnership, highlighting their commitment and aspiration for their C2P in 2023. 

Figure 3. Ms Lan Nguyen briefed the audience about the LIFE Centre and C2P programs/key results over the years

Figure 4. CDC Hà Nội, District OPCs, community clinics, CBOs, LIFE Centre and USAID in one frame.

USAID/LADDERS launches the D.Health application version 2.0 featuring an Online One-Stop Shop (O-OSS) for HIV and other healthcare services.

USAID/LADDERS launches the D.Health application version 2.0 featuring an Online One-Stop Shop (O-OSS) for HIV and other healthcare services.

HCMC – 11.1.2023

As a community-driven health information system, D.Health has been the digital platform enabling the management and reporting of community HIV outreach, testing, counseling, and demographic information, supporting field and facility-based work and providing USAID/LIFFE Centre projects with critical data to inform further program management and intervention. However, given the need to increase population knowledge and awareness to enhance motivation for people to test and seek additional beneficial services, D.Health has been upgraded to integrate these functions, bringing them to the palm of the client’s hand to access  any-time, from anywhere. The client interface in the upgraded D.Health app allows users to explore and utilize numerous existing and new community-based services including directly scheduling appoints with CBOs/DOMEs – including meeting with community outreach workers, ordering free HIV self-test kits, and seeking tailored services to users from outreach/information to screening, referral, and support.

The application also integrates fun new games which reinforce users’ knowledge. Users can also earn points and enter to win prizes, and to experience much more exciting things as the system evolves. On January 11th, USAID LADDERS hosted an event to introduce the newly upgraded D.Health 2.0 to more than 100 people from VAAC, USAID and IPs,  provincial CDCs, affiliated CBOs and young clients. Participants also got a chance to experience the application on site and share their feedback and reaction.

Given how technologically advanced systems are in Vietnam, particularly among KP groups, moving towards a more comprehensive and engaging online option for people to be reached can enhance both outreach and service provision. The next year will show whether this enhancement has led to identifying more new people in need of HIV services and optimizing the system’s capacity and accountability to deliver. This intervention will seek to maximize the impact and coverage of community HIV work contributing toward ending AIDS by 2030 in Vietnam.

Figure 1. Ms Trang Minh Ngo from USAID Vietnam highly appreciates community-driven initiatives like D.Health, which harness the power of information technologies to reach out and provide services to more younger clients in the hope of ending AIDS by 2030 in Vietnam.
Figure 2. The launching event offers a tech space showcasing the D.Health app in various devices for attendees to experience and play interactive games.
Figure 3. CBO members are excited with the new layout and features of D.Health 2.0

USAID/LADDERS rolls out the Community-Public Partnership (C2P) model in Hanoi

USAID/LADDERS rolls out the Community-Public Partnership (C2P) model in Hanoi

USAID/LADDERS rolls out the Community-Public Partnership (C2P) model in Hanoi.

Hanoi – 21.12.2022- The Community-Public Partnership (C2P) model has proven to be a successful model for leveraging community resources to increase client access to care and quality of care, and USAID is committed to supporting its scale-up to more areas of Vietnam. Last week, USAID in partnership with the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC) convened a C2P meeting to officially introduce the C2P model and facilitate the ‘C2P pair-up’ of a health facility and a community-based organization in Hanoi. The event was well attended by 60 participants from 6 district OPCs, 3 hospitals and 4 community clinics along with 9 CBOs under the LIFE/LADDERS project, discussing the possibility and feasibility of adopting and advancing the C2P model among health facilities and CBOs in Hanoi in the common goal of expanding HIV service delivery and optimizing client experience. Hanoi CDC and LIFE Centre managed to engage the participants of all parties in a consensus to agree on a C2P roll-out program in Hanoi including having regular meetings to exchange data and updates, monitoring and reporting mechanisms and supplemental collaborative activities in 2023. By the end of the meeting, all health facilities have committed to initiating the strategic partnership with at least 1 CBO, opening the door for further discussion and official signing between parties under moderation and supervision of Hanoi CDC and LIFE Centre.

C2P results in improved access to HIV prevention and treatment services of populations at higher risk of living with HIV and confronting access barriers. It also enables mobilizing local resources to optimize reach and social services for clients to better identify cases in the community and facilitate linkage and maintenance to care. In addition, the model also supports optimizing opportunities and favorable conditions for CBOs’ financial sustainable development to maintain service delivery relating to HIV/STIs and other diseases. This adds tremendous values to realize USAID’s commitment to end AIDS and transition to sustainable local mechanisms/models.

 

Figure 1. Dr. Lan Thi La – Vice Director of Hanoi CDC emphasized the critical role of community-based organizations as an extended hand to health facilities in HIV/AIDS response in Hanoi.

 

Figure 2. Hoang Mai OPC and Hoa Sen CBO shared experiences and lessons learned from their 2022 partnership, highlighting their commitment and aspiration for their C2P in 2023.