The primary objective of this five-year project is to reduce vulnerability to HIV infection in Vietnam and prevent an HIV/AIDS epidemic in Vietnam. A total of 21 provinces were identified for support. The main component of the project is promoting condom use as a means to reduce the spread of HIV through social marketing. Crown Agents was appointed to procure, inspect and deliver a total of 230 million male condoms and 200,000 female condoms as well as to provide technical assistance to a local condom manufacturer funded by the Department for International Development budget.
The project has resulted in an increased awareness and use of condoms among the vulnerable groups (resulting in less unsafe sex among sex workers and their clients). It has also enabled affordable condoms to be more readily available to consumers.
Technical assistance provided to the local condom manufacturer has resulted in the latter being able to supply condoms to international quality standards. Our technical assistance visits have helped the manufacturer to improve its quality standards from initially producing condoms to Vietnamese standards/ISO 4024: 1996 to WHO 2003 specifications. Indeed, during the last visit, we encouraged the manufacturer to look into the possibility of accreditation to the quality system of ISO 13485.
Dr Nguyen Huu Hung, vice director, Central Management Unit, Preventing HIV in Vietnam Project, Ministry of Health said, "Thank you very much for your ... very useful information related to condom supply within [the] Preventing HIV in Vietnam Project. I do hope that Preventing HIV in Vietnam Project will have more chance to work with Crown Agents".