Community Mobilization to Reduce Drug Use, Quang Ninh, Vietnam.
Objectives. We implemented an intervention to reduce drug use in an urban commune in northern Vietnam. Methods. We encouraged the intervention commune to accept responsibility for developing their own intervention strategies based on a community mobilization model used in southern, rural China. We selected a comparison commune, which had demographic characteristics and a drug history similar to the intervention commune. The 2-year incidence of new drug users was estimated retrospectively in the intervention and comparison communes between baseline (2003) and follow-up (2009). Results. Increased incidence of new (noninjecting) drug users between 2003 and 2009 in the intervention commune was lower than that in the comparison commune, and these participants expressed more positive attitudes toward local authority and people with drug use and HIV/AIDS. Increased condom use during last intercourse with female sex workers and with female casual partners was observed in the intervention commune. HIV prevalence and positive opioid tests decreased more in the intervention commune. Conclusions. Our results suggested that the community mobilization had a positive influence in the intervention commune.
Roger Detels and Ronald S. Brookmeyer are with the Fielding School of Public Health, University of California-Los Angeles. Hien Tran Nguyen, Nguyen Binh Nguyen, and Diep Bich Vu are with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Hanoi, Vietnam. Anh Viet Tran and Son Hong Nguyen are with the Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi. Nhu To Nguyen is with the Family Health International 360, Hanoi.
Hien Tran
HT
Nguyen
Anh Viet
AV
Tran
Nguyen Binh
NB
Nguyen
Son Hong
SH
Nguyen
Diep Bich
DB
Vu
Nhu To
NT
Nguyen
Ronald S
RS
Brookmeyer
Roger
R
Detels