When USAID began supporting Vietnam in its HIV response, it was easy to find new HIV cases as the unidentified numbers were higher. However, as Vietnam now has a strong network of community supporters that provide HIV outreach, prevention, and testing services, it is difficult to find and diagnose the remaining HIV cases in Hanoi and to achieve epidemic control. On July 5, the USAID Sustainable HIV and Tuberculosis Response from Technical Assistance (SHIFT) project partnered with Pluto (a group of community supporters in Hanoi that provide HIV outreach, prevention, and testing services) and Blued (Vietnam’s most popular dating application among men who have sex with men) to host the “Beyond the Limit” event. The event used videos and interactive games to share information about sexually transmitted infectious diseases, HIV testing, and PrEP. After the event, Pluto recruited five new community supporters, confirmed seven new HIV cases, and linked six individuals to PrEP services.

So What? By using a creative event format, USAID SHIFT, Pluto, and Blued were able to attract a new network of at-risk individuals and link them to vital HIV services. This will help Vietnam achieve its target of eliminating HIV transmission by 2030.