DIEN BIEN PHU, Vietnam, October 26, 2010 – Midwives from across Dien Bien province honed their communication skills for preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission, October 25 and 26. Population Services International (PSI) and the Dien Bien Reproductive Health Center organized the training with PEPFAR funding from USAID, through implementing partner Pact and intermediary Save the Children, as part of a yearlong campaign to mainstream HIV testing among expectant mothers.<\/p>\n
Although the tide of new HIV infections has begun to recede in Vietnam as a whole, new cases in remote Dien Bien continue to climb. The province now has the nation’s most widespread HIV epidemic, including among pregnant women (2% of those tested in 2009, says PAC Dien Bien). PSI’s training will help midwives ensure healthy births among ethnic minorities, who form four-fifths of the population, by promoting healthcare referrals during tailored one-on-one and group communication.<\/p>\n