NGO Fontana

NGO Fontana - non-profit organization is committed to promote the prevention, reduction, and treatment of chemical dependency and the related harm in Denmark and Vietnam. Established in 1998 and based in Denmark. Has offices in Copenhagen, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
The primary mission of Fontana is to promote the prevention and reduction of harm related to dependency (alcohol and drugs addiction) through advocacy, networking, collaboration and by treating people for their dependency problems, in order to limit the negative effects of substance abuse known to be a major cause of premature death, interpersonal violence, disability and poverty, throughout the world.
To achieve this mission NGO Fontana works to:
* Creating and nurturing ties between organisations concerned with chemical dependency related harm;
* Influencing policy makers by advocating effective and evidence based policies and treatment of chemical dependency;
* Monitoring policy initiatives and marketing strategies of the alcohol and pharmaceutical industry;
* Advocating the prevention and treatment of chemical dependency.
Among the activities in Vietnam are Binh Minh Village, HIV/AIDS treatment, malaria preventing. The annual budget for Vietnam projects was 150,000 USD in 2005 and 2006, 400,000 USD in 2007, 2008, and 2009, 100,000 USD in 2010, and 750,000 USD in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
HIV/AIDS programme
Programme
In line with the overall mission of reducing chemical-related harm, Fontana targets the high-risk group of injecting drug users in its HIV/AIDS programme, focusing on addressing their drug addiction. It is hoped that HIV/AIDS can be contained by addressing the main source of its spread. Established in Vietnam in 2005, Fontana has focused its projects on introducing and advocating evidence-based prevention and treatment programmes.
In 2005, Fontana initiated a modernizing project in Binh Minh Treatment Centre to introduce twelve step and upgrade the physical conditions of the centre with new equipment for sports, education as well as health care. Within one year, 21 out of 68 patients opted for the treatment. 4 former patients were chosen to be the first Vietnamese counsellors for the programme. The counsellors and other staff were trained by NGO Fontana.
The second project, launched in 2007 in partnership with Binh Minh Centre and Ho Chi Minh City HIV/AIDS Association, rebuilt and renovated a Half Way House in Ho Chi Minh City. It also continued with the twelve-step programme and further included extended care and vocational training. Evaluation by Fontana in 2009 on the effectiveness of the twelve-step programme showed encouraging results that Vietnamese patients responded well to the programme despite linguistic and cultural difficulties.
In 2010, NGO Fontana introduced the treatment programme directly to HIV/AIDS clinics through training and teaching best practice standards by providing evidence-based knowledge and tools to improve recovery and reintegration services for those battling alcohol, drug addiction and HIV, setting a new standard for expertise in addiction practices in Ho Chi Minh City, and from 2011 this program was expanded to also include HIV/AIDS clinics in Hanoi and Khanh Hoa through the development and implementation of accredited training courses, which will lead to increased workforce capability, that should contribute to the provision of more effective drug addiction counselling and treatment, and the understanding that addiction is a mental and potentially fatal disease that needs treatment from well educated counsellors.
In 2011, NGO Fontana launched a project to lift the social condition of sexually abused and drug abusing street children in Vietnam.
In order to work towards achieving this overall development goal, three immediate project objectives have been identified:
# Documenting the magnitude and nature of the problems faced by sexually abused and drug abusing street children in Ho Chi Minh City
# Building capacity with Vietnamese CBOs and VNGOs to address the problem in a wider Vietnamese context,
# Raising awareness among policy makers, society, the media, and people working with street children
Fontana finances its projects using funds received from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) and other contributors such as Euro Care and Club 24. Fund is also raised internally through membership subscription fee determined yearly. Patients opting for its programme receive treatment for free but need to pay for their own meals and medication. Occasionally, more financial aid is available through its Club 24 Foundations.<ref name="sc"/>

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