On the morning of July 15, 2022, the Vietnam International Technology Transfer Center (V-ITTC), Hanoi Medical University in collaboration with the Department of Social Vices Prevention and Combat – Ministry of Labor, War invalids and Social Affairs held a meeting to review the preliminary results of the pilot model of social and legal assistance, consultation and referral services for people who use drugs. The meeting aims to discuss the results achieved by the model of social and legal assistance, consultation, and referral services for people who use drugs (PWUD) in the past time and propose an action plan for the next phase of the program based on new changes in the Law on Drug Prevention and Control of 2021.
The meeting was joined by 20 delegates from the Department of Science, Education, Culture and Social Affairs – Government office, Supreme People’s Court, Department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control – Ministry of Health, Department of Social Vices Prevention and Combat – Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Center for Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI Vietnam), and other international organizations including U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Vietnam.
Moreover, representatives from the Department of Social Evils Prevention presented a summary report on some of the preliminary results of the model being implemented in 8 districts and 20 wards of Hanoi and Da Nang. Particularly, the model has built a professional network to provide technical support in consulting and referring for personnel and legal consultation and loan services, vocational training, and jobs for PWUD in the community.
Despite some remaining challenges, these preliminary results gave rise to the expansion of the model of social and legal assistance, consultation, and referral services for people who use drugs in the upcoming time in accordance with the new Law on Drug Prevention and Control issued in 2021.
Concluding at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Cuu Duc, Deputy Director of the Department of Science, Culture, and Social Affairs – Government Office, emphasized that in the coming time, V-ITTC played a crucial role in connecting Ministries and branches with international organizations in supporting the implementation of the model of social and legal assistance, consultation and referral services for people who use drugs and in providing specialized training courses on drug addiction and drug addiction treatment in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Drug Prevention and Control issued in 2021 for court officials, policemen, social workers, and district/ward-level personnel.
Furthermore, V-ITTC is recommended to continue developing studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the model and develop evidence-based intervention models to provide more training to enhance the competence of personnel working in the drug addiction treatment field in Vietnam, thereby proposing recommendations for the policy-making process in accordance with the new Law on Drug Prevention and Control of 2021.
Bài viết liên quan: