During the week leading up to and on World AIDS Day, Nordic Assistance to Vietnam/NCA and partners acted in the spirit of the UN slogan for 2007, namely, "Leadership".

By Ingunn Brandvoll, Hue City, 1st December 2007

"Have confidence in yourself! Look forward!" encouraged the Most Venerable Thich Hai An from the Buddhist Association in Thua Thien Hue in Central Vietnam, addressing some 60 People Living with HIV. Some had travelled more than 100 km in order to participate in the World AIDS Day celebrations. His statement referred to the bitter fact that one of the most severe consequences of HIV besides the illness itself, is stigma and discrimination. It was therefore no surprise that a short performance on the topic organized by Catholic Sisters, volunteers and children, brought tears of recognition to the eyes of many observers. Although the opportunity to come together from time to time with others may alleviate some of the burden, it cannot relieve entirely the heavy emotional toll of living with HIV.

In recent years both the Vietnamese government and international organizations have strengthened their efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and reduce some of its consequences. Still UNAIDS estimates that more than 100 people are infected with HIV every day in Vietnam. Between 2000 and 2006 the estimated number of People Living with HIV in Vietnam has more than doubled from 120,000 to 280,000. Although this number may seem small compared to African proportions, the consequences for those it affects are equally grave. Vietnam is at a crossroads; it can still prevent or face a large-scale epidemic.

Nordic Assistance to Vietnam (NAV) has for more than a decade been an innovative leader on HIV and AIDS in Vietnam. It began addressing the issue of HIV and AIDS in Vietnam in 1996. In 2001 it started its first pilot on prevention of HIV in prisons. This pilot was later expanded to reduce stigma and care for HIV-positive individuals. As in many other countries, HIV prevalence rates in Vietnamese prisons are higher than among the general public. It was this challenge that some 80 representatives from NAV's partners, the provincial health authorities and prison managers came together to discuss on 26th and 27th November in Hue. For two days they shared ideas on how cooperation and activities can be improved in order to reduce the risk of HIV among prisoners, and how to better care for ill and dying AIDS patients.

In 2003 the Football Association of Norway started a program of co-operation with Nordic Assistance to Vietnam for the development of grassroots football clubs for Vietnamese children. This program, called Football for All in Vietnam, included also a component for awareness raising on HIV.

During the last week of November this program took one step further. A course on how to organize football activities and other games for children was held in Haiphong, one of the provinces in Vietnam with the highest HIV prevalence rates. What made this course different from other football courses in Vietnam was that it also included People Living with HIV as potential football coaches and organizers, in addition to teachers from local schools and members of the Women's Union and Sports Centre. In Haiphong, football will be much more than a game. Through football activities and play, the aim will also be to reduce stigma and discrimination by inviting both children affected by HIV and children from the community to take part in healthy and unbiased team activities.

The program on HIV and AIDS with Faith-Based Organizations is funded by PEPFAR/USAID, the HIV and AIDS program in prisons by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the program on football for children affected by HIV in funded by NORAD through the Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports and the Football Association of Norway.

For more information, contact:

• Ingunn Brandvoll, NCA country representative, Vietnam, e-mail: ingunn@navhue.org