Innovation Day 2007 on AIDS Prevention

“Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise”

 The Innovation Day is a World Bank initiative to provide start-up funds for innovative development ideas and create opportunities for local innovators to meet and contact other people responding to the same concerns. It is designed to address region or country-specific issues and provide opportunities for small locally grounded projects. The first Innovation Day on HIV/AIDS prevention that was organized in June, 2004 with the support of the World Bank and Ministry of Health (MOH) attracted enormous interests and proposals for innovative ideas from different stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

World AIDS Day that has been organized yearly on December 1 always has a main theme and specific messages for AIDS prevention. United Nations (UN) has chosen “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise” since 1995 in order to call for interest and effort of countries in all over the world to halt the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This main theme will be maintained until 2010. To promote the success of the 2004 Innovation Day on HIV/AIDS prevention, MOH has decided to organize the Innovation Day 2007 on AIDS Prevention with the theme of “Stop AIDS: Keep the promise” in conformity with the UN’s proclamation in cooperation with Ministry of Informatics and Communication. The event will be organized on November 28-29, 2007 in Hanoi and funded by the World Bank-financed Vietnam HIV/AIDS Prevention Project and contribution from different international and national donors.

The Innovation Day 2007 on AIDS Prevention with the theme of  “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise” consists of three main sub-themes as follow:

1. Model of behavior change communication and efficient intervention for HIV/AIDS prevention
2. Care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS, against stigma and discrimination toward people living with HIV/AIDS
3. Advocacy for participants of political authorities and community

Model of behavior change communication and efficient intervention model for HIV/AIDS prevention at community: according to Ministry of Health, HIV/AIDS transmission in Vietnam has been slow down for the recent years, although the number of people living with HIV/AIDS is still high. Based on statistics of Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS, until June 29, 2007, accumulated HIV infected cases in Vietnam were 128,367, including 25,219 AIDS patients and 14,042 AIDS fatalities. 65% HIV/AIDS cases concentrated at the age of 13-29. HIV epidemic has been no longer bound among injecting drug users, or commercial sex workers, it is spreading out to the community. HIV/AIDS epidemic has been creating burden for economic- social development. Besides, stigma and discrimination toward PLWHA, which young people accounts for majority, is increasing, especially in areas of  employments, health and social care.

We hope that innovative ideas will address the above serious problems, especially the method for:

1.      Having effective behavior change communication model on HIV prevention, affecting directly to vulnerable groups, especially the young people;

2.      Having effective intervention model for risk population and people affected by HIV to easily access HIV precautionary services in the community such as using clean needles, condoms, and voluntary counseling and testing

Care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS: ¾ PLWHA living in community need to receive health and social services.

Because using ARV is very costly as well as needs to strictly follow the treatment regime, mainly health care services are home-based OI Treatment, personnel hygiene, diet, and HIV prevention for other people. Social support includes job- creating, visiting, supporting in kind for families of PLWHA with serious conditions, especially HIV/AIDS infected women and children.

Innovative ideas will mainly focus on home-based care and support for PLWHA, including providing medical care, social support, and spirit support for PLWHA. Against stigma and discrimination, ensuring PLWHA to integrate with the community.

Innovative ideas should have methods, solutions, and model to attract relatives of PLWHA, social organizations, health staff to care, and support for PLWHA.

Advocacy for participants of leaders of community, organizations, and community (including high risk groups, and PLWHA) in the HIV/AIDS Prevention activity: The leadership and engagement of political authorities and community is crucial in HIV/AIDS prevention activities. Some sensitive intervention activities such as needles exchange program for injecting drug users, distribution of condoms for commercial sex workers, workers at entertainment venues, restaurants will be very difficult being successful without support of local authorities, and participation of community.

Innovative ideas can be method for mobilizing the participation of community, contribution of organizations, individuals in HIV/AIDS Prevention activity by different methods: enterprises contribute money, monks actively take part in care for AIDS patient, and orphaned children, etc.,…

Innovative ideas can be messages, communication methods for advocacy for leaders of authorities, and community (including the leaders of mass media, religious organizations, etc.,…) or prestigious persons at community to support harm reduction activities.

Timeline:

Proposals must be received by office of the Vietnam HIV/AIDS Prevention Project funded by the World Bank no later than October 30th, 2007. All documents should be in Vietnamese and, if possible, English, and should follow the format outlined in the application form. The application form can be picked up at office of Vietnam HIV/AIDS Prevention project funded by the World Bank, 10th floor- 14 Lang Ha-Hanoi,  or email: cpmu_wb@vnhpp.gov.vn.

Short-listed candidates will be notified in early November and invited to participate in the Innovation Day presentation at the end of November in Hanoi. If selected for funding, the winning candidates will be asked to follow additional steps to receive financial awards.

Eligibility Criteria:

Innovation Day 2007 on AIDS Prevention is seeking proposals from all individuals and organizations in Vietnam, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local governments, and public and private development agencies. International NGOs may only apply in partnership with a local person/agency.

Evaluation criteria:

Funding will be awarded to innovative proposals that directly address the above theme. Our definition of “innovation” is the introduction of new products, models, services or new methods by successful applying new ideas. Evaluation will be based on, but not limited to, whether the project meets the following criteria:

• Follow the theme and content of Innovation Day
• Suit with the direction and National Strategy on HIV/AIDS prevention
• Be feasible and expandable
• Have innovation, and be different from what has been done or is currently being done;
• Improve the life quality of poor, and vulnerable group
• Supported by the community and attract the participant of beneficiaries

It is planned that at least ten prizes will be awarded through an open competition. The maximum award size is expected to be about US$10,000. Final awarded amount may vary in size and will be determined based on the needs of the proposals selected.

For further details, please contact:

Project Management Unit of Vietnam HIV/AIDS Prevention Project

Floor 10th, Building 14 Lang Ha, Hanoi

Tel: (04) 7724097, Ext. 31; Fax: (04) 7724098

Email: cpmu_wb@vnhpp.gov.vn