PRESS RELEASE

March 18, 2009

The United States Supports Vietnam in HIV Laboratory Quality Assurance

With support from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) under the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an HIV Laboratory Quality Assurance Workshop is being conducted in Ho Chi Minh City this week. The four-day workshop aims to develop the capacity of laboratory officers and technicians at PEPFAR-supported sites, with regards to HIV Laboratory Quality Assurance practice standards.

Participants from seven PEPFAR supported laboratories are being trained in best practices introduced by technical experts from the U.S. Armed Forces Research Institute of Medicine Sciences.  This workshop is the first of its kind which has focused on building expertise among laboratory technicians in Vietnam. 

Since 2004, PEPFAR has provided more than US $232 million to support the provision of comprehensive HIV prevention, care and treatment services in Vietnam. Vietnam is one of fifteen PEPFAR focus countries, and the only PEPFAR focus country in Asia.