From March 18-19, 2021, the ITTC Vietnam Project (International Technology Transfer Center – A program of the International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction), in collaboration with Hanoi Centers for Disease Control and Prevention organized a training course: “Harm reduction intervention on ATS” for 40 health workers at 18 methadone facilities in Hanoi. With the aim of improving the quality and sustainability of human resources for drug addiction treatment, contributing to reducing the harm of drug use on individuals and related communities.

Attending and speaking at the training course, Dr. Ta Thi Hong Hanh – Head of Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, Hanoi Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized the multiple substance use in the community, especially in methadone patients, has a significant effect on their treatment outcomes. Currently, the dependence and addiction of ATS still do not have any medications. Therefore, the more complicated addiction treatment requires health workers to have more knowledge and skills, including psychosocial therapy.

During 2-day training session, the trainees actively participated in the lesson parts and discussed the situation of drug use in the world and in Vietnam, signs of use, psychiatric disorders associated with ATS use, psychosocial and harm reduction intervention. Besides, the trainees also practised the ASSIT screening tool and gave brief intervention to ATS users. This training course is a good chance for trainees to improve their treatment capacity.