On March 23, USAID’s Healthy Markets activity held the first ever social media forum for HIV control in Vietnam. Over 100 members of the Vietnamese government, civil society representatives, and entrepreneurs gathered to share how they are using social media, e-commerce, and other digital tools to increase the awareness, reach and consumption of HIV products and services. In addition, USAID presented examples of successful digital initiatives which have boosted HIV community-based testing and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis, particularly among hard to reach and high-risk groups. These case studies have reached more than 300,000 MSM and TWG with HIV information, more than two-thirds of whom had previously not been in contact with peer educators or HIV services.

USAID and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is supporting Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) to draft the 8th Power Development Plan with a focus on promoting renewable energy. On March 15, USAID and MOIT organized a workshop to discuss Vietnam’s power planning process and needs for technical support. USAID and NREL shared the latest planning methodologies that help countries confidently include higher proportions of renewable energy in their national power plans.