Viet Nam and France will promote co-operation in scientific and medical research on HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis in the coming years.

Viet Nam and France will promote co-operation in scientific and medical research on HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis in the coming years.— Photo MoH

The co-operation was made under the framework of an agreement signed between the Viet Nam Ministry of Health and the French Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis (ANRS) in Hanoi on Thursday.

At the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long highlighted support of the French government and people to Viet Nam in the healthcare field over the past years.

“The co-operation between the health ministry of Viet Nam and ANRS has been seen as a spotlight in co-operation relations between the two countries,” Long said.

Long also expected the ANRS to continue its support to the health sector in Viet Nam in HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis prevention in the coming years.

Long said that technical and financial support from French government and ANRS would help Viet Nam in maintaining existing research and developing new research orientation in HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis in coming years.

Under the agreement, ANRS will provide professional and financial support for scientific research organisations, calling the ANRS Viet Nam to set up research sites in Viet Nam. These research sites will develop and promote common activities, experience exchange, technology transfering and human resource training for projects relating to epidemic characteristics in Viet Nam.       

Viet Nam and ANRS had signed a co-operation agreement in HIV/AIDS scientific research and prevention in 2000. As a result of the agreement, an HIV/AIDS research site was established in the Southeast Asian region (Viet Nam and Cambodia) in 2001, creating the basic foundation for comprehensive and long-term international co-operation in HIV/AIDS prevention and research activities.

Thanks to the co-operation, many advanced techniques have been successfully transferred to serve scientific research, patient care and treatment in Viet Nam.

It has also helped improve the professional ability of Vietnamese researchers and strengthen scientific research quality and HIV/AIDS patients care services in Viet Nam, according to the health ministry. — VNS