Substance use disorders and HIV in Vietnam since Doi Moi (Renovation): An overview

Abstract

Drawing frompublished and gray literature, this manuscript focuses on the following topics: (1) changing patterns of substance use and abuse in Vietnamsince the early 1990s; (2) the roles of substance use in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic; (3) the responses of theVietnamese government and other entities (both domestic and international) to substance use disorders (SUDs) and HIV; and (4) the current research capacity in Vietnam and ways in which furthering research in Vietnam could enrich our knowledge of the linkages between SUDsandHIVand of effectivemeasures to reduce theirpublichealth consequences.Agrowing number of studies during the past 2 decades show dynamic and still evolving twin epidemics of SUDs and HIV in Vietnam, including a shift from consumption of opium to heroin and amphetamine-type stimulants, the concurrent use of drugs, and the increasing embrace by the government of internationally recognized effective responses (including harm reduction and methadone substitution therapy). However, remaining issues, such as the rapid ascendance of amphetamine-type stimulant use among the country'smost vulnerable populations, the lack of effective integration of SUD and HIV services for HIV-infected drug users, and the reliance on international resources formaintaining quality services,among others, are posing challenges for building sustainable Vietnamese responses. Therefore, building local research and training capacity is a crucial foundation tomeet these challenges. Copyright © 2013, Food and Drug Administration, Taiwan.