Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a game-changing preventive regimen that can reduce the risk of HIV infection by more than 90% if taken daily, as part of a combination HIV prevention strategy. USAID launched PrEP services in Ho Chi Minh City in March 2017. Last week, USAID helped The Light clinic, a civil society organization (CSO) run private clinic, to provide PrEP services in Hanoi for the first time. USAID’s Healthy Markets activity has trained private clinics (like The Light) and public outpatient clinics to promote and provide fee-based PrEP services. It has also trained CSOs and social enterprises to provide community-based HIV testing and provide high risk clients with counseling and referrals for PrEP.

So What? The scale-up of PrEP makes Vietnam a leader in South East Asia for innovative HIV prevention and management models, and has the potential to accelerate Vietnam’s achievement of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goals by 2020 (90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status; 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy; and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression) and HIV elimination by 2030.