At the recent Country Operational Plan approval meetings in Washington D.C., Vietnam was singled out for having the highest rates of HIV viral suppression among all PEPFAR countries. Viral suppression (defined as less than 1,000 copies of HIV virus per milliliter of blood) is the gold standard by which the effectiveness of HIV treatment is measured. When an HIV positive patient achieves viral suppression, not only does s/he have a significantly increased likelihood of improved health outcomes, but it also largely decreases their likelihood of transmitting HIV.

Between January and March, USAID’s Sustainable HIV Response from Technical Assistance (SHIFT) activity assisted in viral load testing for 3,558 HIV patients. Results showed that 95.8 percent of these patients had achieved viral suppression. In addition, 10 out of 36 USAID-supported HIV treatment facilities in 11 provinces providing viral load testing in April 2018 found that 100 percent of tested patients had achieved viral suppression.

So What? Achieving viral suppression is a critical element of attaining HIV epidemic control. With USAID support, Vietnam’s HIV facilities are demonstrating outstanding quality in terms of access to HIV prevention, care, treatment, laboratory monitoring, and retention on anti-retroviral medication. This puts the country well on its way towards achieving its target of 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy having viral suppression by 2020.