Vietnam expects to receive India’s support in rehabilitations for drug users as part of efforts to fight against drug addiction, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said at a meeting with an official of the Indian National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). He hoped that India will support Vietnam in getting access to low-priced buprenorphine and treatment programs which are effective in India, the Deputy PM said at the reception given to the NACO’s Additional Secretary Arun Kumar Panda in Hanoi on May 12. He said that the cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India will enable Vietnam to work more for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. Mr. Dam said at the meeting that the rate of HIV infections among drug users in Vietnam dropped to 9.3% in 2016 from 29% in 2001 thanks to Methadone treatment programs, which were largely contributed by international support. In turn, Mr. Panda said that the NACO will help Vietnam study India’s buprenorphine-used treatment programs and get access to India-made buprenorphine as a way to help the Southeast Asian country reduce its cost amid falling international financial support. (Nhan Dan – The People May 13, VOVWorld May 13, Chinhphu May 13)
