On the morning of June 25, in Vinh City, the Centre for Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI) coordinated with the Nghe An Department of Health to host a coordination meeting. This event aimed to strengthen inter-sectoral collaboration in implementing programs on mental health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and tuberculosis (TB) control.

The meeting gathered representatives from provincial and district-level healthcare units, community groups involved in preventive healthcare, and harm reduction interventions. Participants shared information, exchanged practical experiences, and discussed solutions to enhance coordination mechanisms and service referrals between specialized units and communities, especially in remote areas lacking sufficient resources.

Photo: Representatives from the Nghe An Department of Health, the provincial CDC, the Mental Hospital, the Lung Hospital, and health centers from Quy Chau, Que Phong districts, and Vinh City attended the meeting.

SCDI representatives highlighted that during the first half of 2025, the center worked with the Nghe An CDC, methadone and HIV/AIDS treatment facilities, Quy Chau and Que Phong District Health Centers, the Nghe An Lung Hospital, Mental Hospital, private healthcare facilities, and community groups on various projects in the province. These included the Global Fund HIV/AIDS Project, the Protect the Future Project, and the Global Fund TB Project.

In recent years, SCDI and healthcare units in Nghe An have implemented numerous community-based health interventions. In the first half of the year alone, 3,123 people accessed at least one preventive intervention such as condoms, behavior change counseling, treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), or clean syringes. Key groups included 1,032 men who have sex with men (MSM), 1,335 people who use drugs (PWUD), 500 female sex workers (FSWs), and 145 transgender individuals (TGs).

Photo: SCDI has been active in Nghe An since 2015.

Mental health issues, particularly among young people who use synthetic drugs, have emerged as a significant but under-addressed concern. An SCDI representative emphasized, "Patients need more than medication; they need understanding and companionship. Mental health treatment requires patience and strong connections between healthcare, families, and the community."

At the meeting, leaders from the Nghe An Department of Health commended SCDI's contributions to HIV/AIDS and mental health interventions and expressed a desire for the organization to expand its projects. They emphasized the need for enhanced support in equipment, materials, manpower, training, and communication to improve program effectiveness.

Mrs. Nham Thi Tuyet Thanh, Deputy Director of SCDI, affirmed the center’s commitment to closely collaborating with community groups and local partners. SCDI plans to provide HIV prevention services, expand epidemic assessments among people who inject drugs and MSM in mountainous districts, strengthen TB and latent TB screening and treatment, and promote harm reduction interventions and mental health support for synthetic drug users, especially in drug hotspots.

Photo: SCDI conducting group outreach on TB in Nghe An.

According to SCDI, the meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholders to evaluate the current situation, share experiences, and unify plans for expanding access to HIV/AIDS, TB, and mental health treatment. In the future, SCDI will work to expand the distribution of PrEP (HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis) to district-level facilities and increase methadone treatment points to ease the burden on provincial-level services.

Looking ahead, SCDI hopes to continue receiving active support and cooperation from the Nghe An CDC, Lung Hospital, Mental Hospital, Vinh City Health Center, and district health centers in technical assistance for community groups, coordination, and support for ongoing activities.

The organization is also collaborating with relevant units to develop referral mechanisms and support systems in remote areas where services for TB, HIV, and mental health are limited. A key priority is increasing the number of methadone treatment clients in Que Phong District, where current numbers remain low.

Notably, community support models such as Sao Va (Que Phong) and peer groups in Vinh City, which serve as “extended arms” of the healthcare sector, were highlighted as sustainable solutions for the new phase.

Nghe An is a leader in community initiatives for HIV prevention, latent TB management, and mental health care for vulnerable groups. This meeting aims to catalyze inter-sectoral coordination, data integration, and resource mobilization for essential health programs.

SCDI is a non-governmental science and technology organization established in 2010 under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations. Its activities focus on improving the quality of life and social integration of vulnerable populations, including people who inject drugs, MSM, transgender women, female sex workers, youth using synthetic drugs, people with HIV, homeless individuals, and those living in slums.

Via Hoang Trinh - Suc Khoe & Doi Song