External funding reduction of HIV/AIDS programme: Exploring options for financial sustainability

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To examine the financing trend for HIV/AIDS programme for 2011–2019 and to explore the potential options to fill funding gap and sustain the programme.

Methods: Using mixed methods, including literature review and qualitative interview (16 in-depth interviews with key informants from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam Authority of HIV/AIDS Control and related departments of Bac Ninh and Dien Bien Provinces).

Results: The total fund for 2011–2019 was 22,243 billion VND (USD317.3 million) with the largest contribution of external funding (67%). The share of government budget remains quite low (9%). HIV/AIDS programme is focusing on shifting the finance of HIV/AIDS services from programme/projects to the health insurance fund; increasing the contribution of local government budget and diversifying other domestic sources. It is important for the programme to promote the integration of HIV/AIDS services into the current healthcare system and decentralization of HIV/AIDS services into primary healthcare facilities.

Conclusion: To fill the funding gap for HIV/AIDS programme, it requires increasing contribution from local goverment budget for prevention activies as well as social health insurance for treatment. Lessons learnt from HIV/AIDS programme could suggest for other priority public health programmes to sustain their achievements in the upcoming years.

KEYWORDS:

• Financial sustainability
• funding reduction
• HIV/AIDS programme
• responsive policies
• Vietnam

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the World Health Organization under Contract 201568833.

Notes on contributors

Ha Thu Nguyen

Ha Thu Nguyen, MSc., Lecturer, Department of Health Economics, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Anh Quynh Nguyen

Anh Quynh Nguyen, MSc., PhD., Lecturer, Department of Health Economics, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam. Phuong Thi Kim Nguyen, currently working at Office of the World Health Organization Representative Vietnam, Hanoi, Vietnam. Anh Thuy Duong, currently working at Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Phuong Thi Kim Nguyen

Anh Quynh Nguyen, MSc., PhD., Lecturer, Department of Health Economics, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam. Phuong Thi Kim Nguyen, currently working at Office of the World Health Organization Representative Vietnam, Hanoi, Vietnam. Anh Thuy Duong, currently working at Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Anh Thuy Duong

Anh Quynh Nguyen, MSc., PhD., Lecturer, Department of Health Economics, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam. Phuong Thi Kim Nguyen, currently working at Office of the World Health Organization Representative Vietnam, Hanoi, Vietnam. Anh Thuy Duong, currently working at Vietnam Administration of HIV/AIDS Control, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Huong Thanh Nguyen

Huong Thanh Nguyen, Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Science, Health Behavior and Education, Hanoi University of Public Health, Hanoi, Vietnam.