Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that to treat HIV/AIDS, countries should phase out Nevirapine (NVP) based regimens and transition to superior drugs such as fixed dose combination of Tenofovir – Lamivudine – Dolutegravir (TLD). Hence, key international donors for HIV/AIDS in Vietnam, including PEPFAR and the Global Fund, requested Vietnam to develop a transition plan for TLD. In order to accomplish this, the Vietnamese Government needs to do extensive coordination to assess the current situation and develop a plan for successful transition to TLD.

On June 7, USAID supported Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) to organize a workshop on transition to TLD to optimize ARV therapy, which was attended by 80 representatives of key local and international stakeholders, including USAID, CDC, WHO, Global Fund, Vietnam Social Security, relevant departments under Vietnam’s Ministry of Health, and provincial representatives. Apart from providing participants with information on TLD as well as ARV therapy optimization in the United States and other PEPFAR countries, there were also discussions on solutions so that Vietnam’s Ministry of Health can move forward with TLD transition starting in October 2019, while ensuring uninterrupted ARV treatment for the country’s HIV/AIDS patients.

So What? This workshop helped Vietnam’s decision-makers and HIV/AIDS experts to understand the importance of TLD transition in Vietnam so that they can support the country’s TLD importation in the short term as well as include TLD in the list of drugs covered by social health insurance in the long term.