In Vietnam, there are approximately 2 million pregnant women every year with
the national HIV/AIDS prevalence among them is 0.25%. According to the World
Health Organization (WHO), the rate of HIV transmission from mother to child is
about 30 – 45%, given that no interventions are applied. As a result, numbers of
children who were born to HIV infected mothers are estimated at about a
thousand. Currently , Vietnam has planned, with supports from different active
donors, to scale up different services to provinces, districts and
communes/precincts in order to strengthen the PMTCT, BCC activities, VCT
services, ARV distribution, and HIV/AIDS related care and treatment. As of now,
the data on the children, who are infected and affected by HIV and AIDS,
especially those who are amongst ethnic minority groups and those who are
living in rural or remote areas, are very limited. There might be a number of
uncovered cases among them due to their limited accessibility and utilization of
services. Whether or not the HIV epidemic among ethnic minority people is an
issue is an important underlying question for decision makers at both the
national level as well as the local level in their efforts of HIV/AIDS control and
prevention.
This study qualitatively explores the accessibility and utilization of HIV/AIDS care
and treatment of HIV positive women and OVC among ethnic minority groups
in mountainous and remote areas. The findings of this study would help the
government in cooperation with UNICEF and related donors to further
understand the current situation and propose solutions for improving access to
services among women and children living with HIV in the communities with
high numbers of ethnic minority people.