4th Advisory Board meeting – Vietnam International Technology Transfer Center (V-ITTC)

On August 15, 2023, the Vietnam International Technology Transfer Center (V-ITTC), Hanoi Medical University held the 4th Advisory Board meeting, both online and in-person.

The meeting was joined by nearly 30 deputies from the Department of Science, Education, Culture and Social Affairs – Government office, Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control – Ministry of Health, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh city, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of Hanoi, the US Department of Foreign Affairs in Vietnam, and some domestic and international NGOs such as INL, Colombo Plan, CDC, UNODC, VUSTA, …

The representative from the Department of Social Evil Prevention – Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs presented a report on the implementation of the model “Social and legal assistance, consultation, and referral services for people who use drugs” with the participation of the court and proposed specialized and technical support such as: Standardizing Vietnamese-language documents on early intervention prevention, comprehensive drug addiction treatment, voluntary community integration for drug users; Training and capacity enhancement for officers engaged in prevention, treatment, and drug addiction rehabilitation work within the model in Hanoi, as well as source instructors from provinces and centrally governed cities; Establishing an information system, database, digitalization concerning drug users participating in the model; Evaluating and summarizing the model, developing plans, and strategies for model replication, and creating conditions for personnel involved in the model to learn about drug addiction prevention intervention models and drug court models effectively implemented in some countries. The representative from the Hanoi Department of Social Evil Prevention presented a report on the assessment of training outcomes and the registration of training needs for officers engaged in social evil prevention work in Hanoi, focusing on three main aspects: 1) The current situation of drug-related issues in the Hanoi City area, 2) Training and capacity-building efforts, 3) Proposals for supporting the counseling point model (transfer model).

The representative from ITTC Vietnam presented a proposal to participate in the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP). Currently, the association has 36 member countries, with 10 Asian nations among them. The operational approach of each member within the association can be either an individual agency or a network. They hold regular quarterly meetings and organize workshops to share information and experiences in the field of substance use.

The successful meeting took place with contributions from domestic and international delegates. Based on that, Mr. Le Minh Giang – Director of V-ITTC Vietnam summarized the proposals and tasks to be undertaken in the near future to enhance the capacity for drug addiction prevention and treatment in Vietnam. Following the session will be a meeting among relevant parties, including the Department of Social Evil Prevention, regarding specific operational plans in the upcoming period.