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.