Medication-assisted Treatment for Injecting Drug Users in Vietnam (OIT-HCMC)

The drug treatment and HIV research literature of the past 20 years provides strong support for the ability of drug treatment programs to reduce the frequency of drug use, risk behaviors, and incidence of new infections. Findings from these studies also suggest that drug users living with HIV who remain in medication assisted treatment (MAT) and cease drug use are significantly more likely to achieve sustained viral suppression and consequently less likely to transmit HIV. While these data are strong and consistent, they are all derived from countries with highly developed drug and HIV treatment systems. Little data exist regarding the challenges of implementing and integrating new strategies for MAT with linkages to HIV care in resource-limited settings with developing drug and HIV treatment systems.

The proposed project will take place in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. In HCMC, 51.8 % of IDUs are estimated to be HIV positive (HCMC Provincial AIDS Committee (PAC) 2009). Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for IDUs started as a pilot program in 2008 in Haiphong and HCMC, two of the highest prevalence provinces for injecting drug use. By December 2009, 784 patients were under MMT and 235 were receiving ARV. 30% of patients under MMT are HIV+ (HCMC PAC, 2009). The National goal is to have 80,000 drug users in methadone treatment by 2015. There are currently no buprenorphine/naloxone treatment programs in Vietnam.

The proposed project evaluate the implementation of an MAT program (both methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone) integrated within an HIV treatment setting. This is the first project to establish and evaluate the implementation a buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) treatment program in Vietnam. Participants were enrolled in the integrated MAT program that included drug and risk counseling, and for those who are living with HIV, HIV treatment. Participant'received care for 12 months and then transitioned to community treatment program. The study assessed barriers to implementation.

Primary measures consisted of facilitators and barriers to implementation and retention in MAT generally and Suboxone treatment specifically. The following specific aims are evaluated:

• Establish a new integrated MAT treatment program within and HIV treatment setting in HCMC;
• Evaluate barriers and facilitators to implementation of integrated MAT/HIV treatment;
• Evaluate patient retention and medication adherence in integrated MAT/HIV Care;
• Estimate the costs and benefits of MAT treatment strategies.