UNODC-funded projects effective in VN

The statement was made at a meeting to review the two projects, held on March 12 in Hà Nội, by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Committee for Ethnic Affairs.

The project on preventing and fighting drug abuse and HIV among ethnic minority people in the North-western region has been implemented since 2008 in 27 communes of Lào Cai, Sơn La, Yên Bái and Điện Biên provinces.

It has focused on campaigns to raise public awareness about drug and HIV issues, distributions of condoms and syringes to drug addicts, peer-to-peer communications, and the training of cadres, peer communicators and volunteers.

Thank to the project, many ethnic minority people have become aware of dangers of drug addiction and HIV infection. The project has helped over 500 households with members addicted to drug to have access to loans for establishing their production or business.

The project on provising technical assistance to drug detoxification and rehabilitation at centers and in communities have been carried out for six years in the 10 localities of Hải Phòng, Hải Dương, Phú Thọ, Lào Cai, Sơn La, Lạng Sơn, Thanh Hóa, Đà Nẵng, An Giang and Tây Ninh.

It has helped the development of voluntary drug detoxification services in communities along with training counselors and caretakers at drug detoxification centers and relatives of drug addicts. 

By Ngọc Vân