HANOI, March 10, 2015 -- U.S. Embassy officials will today visit Dien Bien province to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the normalization of relations between the United States and Vietnam and hold local consultations to inform about operational planning for HIV/AIDS programming. 

The delegation will attend a theater drama, “Three in One,” with provincial government officials from Dien Bien to highlight the 20th anniversary. The drama "Three in One" was jointly produced by the Vietnam National Drama Theater and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) team at the U.S. Embassy. The play features three main characters representing three key populations most impacted by the HIV epidemic in Vietnam, namely people who inject drugs, female sex workers and men who have sex with men. The drama was performed for a public audience in Hanoi in November and December 2014 and was well received by audiences and the media. To mark World AIDS Day,  the Ministry of Health and the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi sponsored a special public performance on November 30, 2014.

The Embassy group of representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development and PEPFAR will consult with the Department of Health and the Provincial AIDS Center of Dien Bien as well as local civil society organizations to inform planning for HIV programming. They will also visit existing HIV care and treatment sites in Dien Bien.

To further disseminate important information on HIV prevention, care and treatment services, and address stigma and discrimination against those affected by HIV/AIDS, the drama will also be performed in Lao Cai and another drama, "Defect Rainbow," jointly produced by PEPFAR and the Top Entertainment Co. Ltd, will tour Can Tho and An Giang provinces in the Mekong delta later this month.