The Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations has officially approved the project document for "Building access mechanisms and strengthening mental health care for people living with and affected by HIV" (referred to as the DREAMH Project) under Decision No. 777/QĐ-LHHVN dated October 13, 2025.
Improving mental health through community empowerment
The DREAMH project is led by the Center for Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI), with aid provided by Expertise France through the L’Initiative Fund. The core objective of the project is to improve the mental health of people living with and affected by HIV by strengthening the capacity of community networks in Vietnam.
The project is being implemented on a large scale with specific details:
- Locations: 06 provinces/cities including Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ninh Bình, Hưng Yên, Nghệ An, and Ho Chi Minh City.
- Beneficiaries: A total of 21,000 people, including people living with HIV, men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, and people who use drugs.
- Timeline: From October 2025 to March 2029.
- Total Investment: 1,667,367.83 Euro (equivalent to over 40.2 billion VND) from non-refundable aid.
To realize these goals, the project focuses on training high-quality human resources. Specifically, it will train 100 community outreach workers, 80 community health collaborators, and notably 25 psychiatrists across the 6 provinces to enhance the capacity for treating mental disorders in target groups.
International cooperation and professional capacity building
As part of its professional activities, from March 4, 2026, to March 8, 2026, SCDI is collaborating with experts from the Pierre Nicole Center (French Red Cross) to organize a training program in Hai Phong. The expert delegation consists of 04 members (03 French nationals and 01 Algerian national) who will directly teach and share experiences on specialized topics such as: Rapid mental health screening tools; Trauma-informed intervention and processing dual disorders (substance addiction and mental health); and Referral operational procedures and information confidentiality between the project and medical facilities.
Support from local authorities
The Hai Phong Department of Foreign Affairs has issued a response letter facilitating the foreign expert delegation's visit and teaching in the locality. The Department requires SCDI to ensure activities align with the proposed goals and programs while strictly complying with regulations regarding residency and the protection of state secrets during their time in Hai Phong.
The DREAMH project is expected to establish a new, sustainable access mechanism, helping to remove barriers and increase the enjoyment of mental health care services for vulnerable communities in Vietnam.