2023 Scientific and Community Conference: “Promoting the Participation and Practice of People Affected by and Living with HIV in HIV/AIDS and Co-infection Science”

Published: 00:00 - 22/09/2023 Author: Nguyễn Thị Kiều Liên 14:02 22/09/2023 Views: 1

🤖 AI Translation Notice: This article was automatically translated by AI from the official Vietnamese publication of the School of Preventive Medicine and Public Health (HMU). For official legal/administrative reference, please consult the original Vietnamese version →.

On 21 September 2023, the School of Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SPMPH), Hanoi Medical University, in collaboration with the Hai Dang Social Enterprise and the U.S. CDC in Vietnam, successfully organized the conference “Promoting the Participation and Practice of People Affected by and Living with HIV in HIV/AIDS and Co-infection Science”.

On 21 September 2023, the School of Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SPMPH), Hanoi Medical University, in collaboration with the Hai Dang Social Enterprise and the U.S. CDC in Vietnam, successfully organized the conference “Promoting the Participation and Practice of People Affected by and Living with HIV in HIV/AIDS and Co-infection Science”.

The conference was attended by 60 delegates from:

Community-based organizations of people affected by and living with HIV

Educational and scientific-technical institutions

Non-governmental and international organizations

Donors and multilateral organizations (UN)

Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC)

The conference aimed to:
  Connect scientists, organizations, and the community to enhance mutual understanding and promote collaboration in the joint effort to respond to HIV/AIDS and co-infections.
  Update the latest scientific information on HIV, harm reduction, hepatitis, and mental health for target communities, program planners, and the government.
  Share best practices regarding community participation and the use of scientific data to drive change.
  Explore opportunities to strengthen meaningful community engagement in future scientific work to address HIV/AIDS and co-infections.

Opening and closing remarks were delivered by:
Assoc. Prof. PhD. Pham Duc Manh - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control
Prof. PhD. Le Thi Huong - Director of the School of Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SPMPH), Hanoi Medical University
Mr. Minesh Shah and Ms. Asia Nguyen, U.S. CDC

The conference featured 10 presenters and 2 speakers who discussed relevant topics and provided useful solutions regarding community participation in scientific research and the importance of community-led monitoring.
The conference also included 04 presentations updating scientific information on HIV/AIDS, harm reduction, hepatitis, and mental health, delivered by leading global experts.

The conference was a great success. In the summary, delegates shared approximately 30 upcoming activities to effectively implement community participation in scientific research. Priorities include advocacy for policy change and a focus on several plans: Continuing to build community capacity in scientific research and the utilization of research findings to improve the quality of healthcare services for the community itself; Proposing new research ideas, such as stigma among people living with HIV and hepatitis; Developing guidance documents and interventions for the community regarding mental health (in addition to the ongoing physical health initiatives), HIV, and co-infections; Addressing mental health issues for both service providers and service users.