Joint Circular No. 51/2002/TTLT/BTC-BYT guiding the contents and expenditure levels of the National Target Program for Preventing Certain Social Diseases, Dangerous Epidemics, and HIV/AIDS

JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for the Content and Expenditure Levels of the National Target Program on Preventing and Controlling Certain Social Diseases, Dangerous Epidemics, and HIV/AIDS

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Pursuant to Decision No. 71/2001/QD-TTg dated May 4, 2001 of the Prime Minister on national target programs for the period 2001-2005;

Pursuant to Decision No. 190/2001/QĐ-TTg dated December 13, 2001 of the Prime Minister approving the National Target Program on Preventing and Controlling Certain Social Diseases, Dangerous Epidemics, and HIV/AIDS for the period 2001-2005;

Pursuant to Decision No. 42/2002/QD-TTg dated March 19, 2002 of the Prime Minister on management and implementation of national target programs;

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health issue guidelines for the content and expenditure levels of projects under the National Target Program on Preventing and Controlling Certain Social Diseases, Dangerous Epidemics, and HIV/AIDS (hereinafter referred to as the PCMSBXH, BDNH & HIV/AIDS Program) as follows:

A. GENERAL PROVISIONS:

1. The PCMSBXH, BDNH & HIV/AIDS Program includes projects specified in Decision No. 190/2001/QĐ-TTg dated December 13, 2001 of the Prime Minister approving the National Target Program on Preventing and Controlling Certain Social Diseases, Dangerous Epidemics, and HIV/AIDS for the period 2001-2005. The budget for the PCMSBXH, BDNH & HIV/AIDS Program is formed from state budget allocations and other sources of funds raised according to state regulations.

2. The entities subject to this Circular are all units using the budget of the PCMSBXH, BDNH & HIV/AIDS Program.

B. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT OF THE PCMSBXH, BDNH & HIV/AIDS PROGRAM:

I. COMMON EXPENSES FOR PROJECTS UNDER THE PCMSBXH, BDNH & HIV/AIDS PROGRAM:

1. Expenses for writing, compiling, and translating specialized materials for each project, with specific expenditure levels as follows:

- Writing and compiling specialized materials: Maximum expense not exceeding 50,000 VND per standard page of 300 words.

- Translating and proofreading materials from Vietnamese to foreign languages: Maximum expense not exceeding 40,000 VND per standard page of 300 words.

- Translating and proofreading materials from foreign languages to Vietnamese: Maximum expense not exceeding 35,000 VND per standard page of 300 words.

2. Expenses for training and professional skill enhancement courses for each project. The expenditure level shall be in accordance with the current regulations on conference and training expenses.

3. Expenses for training, cooperation, and experience exchange abroad, decided by the Program Director. The expenditure level shall be in accordance with the current regulations on short-term overseas travel expenses.

4. Expenses for communication and education activities; printing of promotional materials, documents, and forms serving the operations of central and local projects. Expenses for publicizing through mass media such as radio, television, and press shall be at the prices stipulated by the State.

5. Purchase of transportation means for professional activities such as purchasing dedicated vehicles for the health sector; purchasing motorcycles and bicycles suitable for mountainous areas; purchasing boats and rafts (for regions primarily accessible by waterways) after approval by competent authorities.

6. Repair of equipment and professional tools, maintenance and upkeep of drug warehouses, chemicals, vaccines, and biological products.

7. Expenses for periodic evaluation and monitoring of the implementation of professional objectives of each project.

8. Expenses for surveys conducted according to the professional content of each project approved by the Ministry of Health. Specific content and expenditure levels shall be applied in accordance with Circular No. 114/2000/TT-BTC dated November 27, 2000 of the Ministry of Finance guiding the management of survey funding from state budget sources.

9. Hiring domestic and foreign experts and expert offices (if any).

10. Expenses for awards according to the Decision of the Minister of Health or the Program Director. Specific content and expenditure levels shall be applied in accordance with Circular No. 25/2001/TT-BTC dated April 16, 2001 of the Ministry of Finance guiding financial management for implementing the system of awards for outstanding achievements in economic and social tasks and national defense.

11. Research expenses related to the content of the project according to the research outline approved by the Ministry of Health. Expenditure levels shall be applied in accordance with Joint Circular No. 45/2001/TTLT/BTC-BKHCNMT dated June 18, 2001 of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Science and Technology and Environment guiding certain expense regimes for scientific and technological tasks.

12. Counterpart funds within the country (if any) of projects financed by ODA loans and foreign aid as stipulated in agreements between the Government of Vietnam and governments of other countries or international organizations.

13. Payment for train tickets for village and commune health workers attending training sessions at district, county, and provincial levels at the regular passenger fare rate when the commune does not cover travel expenses from its commune budget.

14. Expenses for staff conducting epidemiological surveillance for projects. The expenditure level is 8,000 VND per person per day in addition to the current travel allowance.

15. Other expenses (if any).

The Project Management Board is responsible for reviewing and announcing annually the list of key provinces, districts, counties, communes, and wards as a legal basis for managing and supervising project expenditures.

II. SPECIFIC EXPENSE CONTENT FOR EACH PROJECT UNDER THE PCMSBXH, BDNH & HIV/AIDS PROGRAM:

In addition to the common content expenses mentioned above, each project may incur special content expenses as follows:

1. Expense content of the Malaria Prevention and Control Project (PCSR):

1.1. Purchase of antimalarial drugs; supporting drugs (including common antibiotics, anti-diarrhea drugs, pain relievers, fever reducers, vitamins).

1.2. Purchase of mosquito control chemicals and testing chemicals.

1.3. Purchase of spraying equipment, insect investigation tools, microscopes, and testing equipment.

1.4. Purchase of bed nets for poor malaria-endemic areas.

1.5. Expenses for mobile team members engaged in malaria prevention and control in malaria-endemic counties beyond the current travel allowance. The expenditure level is 8,000 VND per person per day.

1.6. Expenses for commune health workers involved in malaria prevention and control in malaria-endemic communes. The expenditure level is 60,000 VND per commune per month.

1.7. Expenses for village and hamlet health workers or volunteers involved in malaria prevention and control in malaria-endemic villages and hamlets. The expenditure level is 20,000 VND per village or hamlet per month.

1.8. Expenses for personnel conducting blood smear tests to detect malaria parasites. The expenditure level is 300 VND per smear.

1.9. Expenses for bait and nighttime mosquito catchers. The expenditure level is 15,000 VND per person per night.

1.10. Expenses for personnel directly applying mosquito control chemicals. The expenditure level is 15,000 VND per person per day.

1.11. Support expenses for personnel at microscope stations during malaria outbreaks. The expenditure level is 10,000 VND per person per day.

2. Expense content of the Goiter Prevention and Control Project:

2.1. Purchase of treatment drugs and iodine deficiency prevention chemicals.

2.2. Purchase dedicated ultrasound machines for the thyroid gland, iodine urine quantification machines, thyroid hormone quantification machines, pituitary hormone quantification machines, radiation measurement devices, and accompanying accessories to equip centers (stations) responsible for goiter prevention functions in provinces and centrally administered cities.

2.3. Pay for the labor cost of testing iodized salt samples. The payment rate is 1,500 dong per sample.

2.4. Pay for the labor cost of testing urinary iodine quantification. The payment rate is 2,000 dong per sample.

2.5. Pay for the labor cost of testing pituitary hormone quantification (T3, T4, TSH). The payment rate is 2,000 dong per sample.

2.6. Pay for medical staff traveling to collect iodized salt samples at households, production sites, storage locations, and retail points; and urine samples on-site. The payment rate is 1,000 dong per sample.

2.7. Pay for medical staff traveling to collect blood samples on-site and transporting blood samples for testing. The payment rate is 2,000 dong per sample.

2.8. Provide support for each county with a fixed allowance for full-time work on iodine deficiency disorder prevention if they maintain a minimum coverage rate of 70% of households using iodized salt. The payment rate is 50,000 dong per fixed allowance per month.

2.9. Pay for the labor cost of monitoring iodized salt quality at household level, production sites, and retail points to determine factors affecting iodized salt quality and reasons for non-use, based on the monitoring form issued by the Ministry of Health. The specific payment rates (including travel expenses and data collection costs) are as follows:

- The payment rate for mountainous, border, and island areas is 12,000 dong per monitoring form (household), while for other regions it is 10,000 dong per monitoring form (household).

- The payment rate for monitoring iodized salt quality at production sites and retail points is 5,000 dong per monitoring form.

- Pay for data entry into computers, analysis, and processing of data. The payment rate is 2,000 dong per household monitoring form; 1,000 dong per production site or retail point monitoring form.

- Pay for the labor cost of health workers guiding the organization and supervision of iodized salt quality monitoring. The payment rate is 30,000 dong per commune monitored per round. The list of communes to be monitored is decided by the Project Management Board.

3. Contents of the Expanded Immunization Program (EIP) Project funding:

3.1. Purchase, receive, store, and transport vaccines to district and commune levels to serve the EIP.

3.2. Purchase equipment and tools for vaccine storage and transportation, injection supplies, and safety assurance tools for EIP operations.

3.3. Support the purchase of equipment, tools, diagnostic reagents, and chemicals for laboratories serving EIP work at central and regional institutes.

3.4. Pay for the labor cost of testing stool samples to detect polio. The payment rate is 3,000 dong per double sample.

3.5. Pay for the labor cost of testing measles serum samples. The payment rate is 2,000 dong per sample.

3.6. Provide support for specialized health workers in particularly difficult communes according to the Government's specified list, with a fixed allowance per commune. The payment rate is 20,000 dong per fixed allowance per month.

3.7. Pay for health workers traveling to administer vaccinations that include giving children eight doses of vaccine within nine to twelve months. The payment rate for mountainous, remote, and island areas is 3,000 dong per fully vaccinated child, while for other areas it is 1,500 dong per fully vaccinated child.

3.8. Pay for health workers traveling to administer tetanus toxoid vaccinations to pregnant women and women of reproductive age (15-35 years old) in key districts. The payment rate for mountainous, remote, and island areas is 2,000 dong per fully vaccinated person, while for other areas it is 1,000 dong per fully vaccinated person.

3.9. Pay for health workers traveling to administer two doses of oral polio vaccine spaced one month apart during national or regional vaccination campaigns. The payment rate for mountainous, remote, and island areas is 1,000 dong per fully vaccinated child, while for other areas it is 500 dong per fully vaccinated child.

3.10. Pay for surveillance of one acute flaccid paralysis case from onset of illness to day 60, including specimen collection and transfer as prescribed. The payment rate for mountainous, remote, and island areas is 150,000 dong per case, while for other areas it is 50,000 dong per case.

3.11. Pay for surveillance of one suspected neonatal tetanus, measles, or other disease cases within the scope of the EIP Project. The payment rate for mountainous, remote, and island areas is 15,000 dong per case, while for other areas it is 5,000 dong per case.

3.12. Pay for health workers participating in disease control efforts for diseases within the scope of the EIP Project. The payment rate is 12,000 dong per person per day.

3.13. Pay for health workers traveling to administer one of the following vaccines: Hepatitis B virus, Encephalitis, Cholera, Typhoid, Measles second dose. The payment rate for mountainous, remote, and island areas is 1,000 dong per dose per child, while for other areas it is 500 dong per dose per child.

4. Contents of the Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Project funding:

4.1. Purchase, receive, store, and transport anti-tuberculosis drugs and tuberculin to commune and ward levels.

4.2. Purchase, receive, store, mix, and transport chemical reagents for testing to provincial and district levels.

4.3. Purchase, receive, store, and transport microscopes, safety slide frames, slides, sputum cups, X-ray machines, X-ray films, gloves, masks, protective coats, and testing equipment to provincial, district, and commune levels.

4.4. Pay for commune health workers (one fixed allowance per commune) directly examining and referring tuberculosis patients to the tuberculosis control team. The payment rate is 10,000 dong per fixed allowance per month.

4.5. Pay for laboratory technicians performing three sputum samples for suspected tuberculosis patients who come for examination. The payment rate is 3,000 dong per patient.

4.6. Pay for health workers conducting screening activities to identify primary sources of infection (AFB-positive pulmonary tuberculosis). The payment rate is 10,000 dong per AFB-positive patient.

4.7. Pay for commune, ward, and village health workers directly distributing daily medication to tuberculosis patients during an 8 or 9-month treatment period. The payment rate for mountainous, remote, and island areas is 100,000 dong per patient, while for other areas it is 60,000 dong per patient.

4.8. Pay for health workers conducting monitoring, supervision, and health education for tuberculosis patients during treatment. The payment rate for mountainous, remote, and island areas is 10,000 dong per patient per month, while for other areas it is 5,000 dong per patient per month.

4.9. Pay for workers conducting smear slide preparation and examination (mixing smears and examining them). The payment rate is 1,000 dong per smear slide prepared.

5. Contents of the Leprosy Prevention and Control Project funding:

5.1. Purchase of medicines and chemicals for leprosy detection and treatment work.

5.2. Purchase of specialized medical equipment and drug storage facilities for leprosy detection and rehabilitation work. Purchase of raw materials and production of essential items such as corrective shoes and sandals for deformed patients.

5.3. Surgical treatment for deformed leprosy patients. The subsidy level for corrective surgery for deformed leprosy patients is as follows:

5.4. Support expenses for healthcare personnel and volunteers directly involved in mobile outreach for leprosy patient examination, treatment, and care at home. The expense level is 10,000 VND per person per day.

5.5. Expenses for healthcare personnel directly distributing medication and monitoring leprosy patients at home, detailed as follows:

- Patients with low bacterial load, treated for 6 to 9 months: 84,000 VND per patient.

- Patients with high bacterial load, treated for 12 months in remote, mountainous, impoverished areas with high prevalence rates: 240,000 VND per patient.

- Patients with high bacterial load, treated for 24 to 36 months: 240,000 VND per patient.

5.6. Expenses for healthcare personnel examining and diagnosing new leprosy patients. The expense level is 100,000 VND per patient.

5.7. Expenses for healthcare personnel treating leprosy patients with healed ulcers. The expense level is 50,000 VND per non-bone-inflamed patient, 100,000 VND per bone-inflamed patient.

5.8. Subsidies for personnel during mass screening campaigns to detect leprosy patients. The expense level is 120,000 VND per 1,000 people screened in plains areas, 240,000 VND per 1,000 people screened in mountainous, remote, and island areas.

5.9. Expenses for personnel who have achieved early detection of leprosy reactions and timely treatment to prevent disability. The expense level is 50,000 VND per patient.

5.10. Hiring transportation for leprosy patients from their homes to health stations, leprosariums, or regional hospitals for extremely poor patients (in mountainous, remote areas) suffering severe leprosy reactions or treatment complications. The expense level is 3,000 VND per kilometer.

5.11. Expenses for laboratory technicians performing two smears to identify Mycobacterium leprae in suspected leprosy patients or those currently undergoing treatment and under surveillance (one from the earlobe, two from skin lesions). The expense level is 5,000 VND per patient.

6. Contents of the Dengue Fever Prevention and Control Project:

6.1. Purchase of mosquito eradication chemicals, diagnostic serological reagents, viral isolation media.

6.2. Purchase of chemical spraying machines and replacement parts, entomological investigation tools, microscopes, laboratory testing equipment, and diagnostic devices for grassroots levels.

6.3. Expenses for entomology laboratory technicians identifying mosquito species that transmit disease. The expense level is 1,000 VND per sample.

6.4. Expenses for entomology laboratory technicians assessing chemical sensitivity and mosquito eradication efficacy. The expense level is 200,000 VND per sample.

6.5. Expenses for serological laboratory technicians diagnosing dengue fever. The expense level is 6,000 VND per sample.

6.6. Expenses for blood collectors and sample transporters. The expense level is 2,000 VND per sample.

6.7. Expenses for personnel conducting viral isolation (cell culture, cultivation, identification). The expense level is 15,000 VND per sample.

6.8. Expenses for personnel directly applying and spraying chemicals to eradicate mosquitoes and implementing measures to eliminate mosquito larvae. The expense level is 15,000 VND per person per day.

6.9. Expenses for community collaborators engaged in dengue fever prevention education, mobilization, surveillance, vector control, and case detection in key districts and towns. The expense level is 25,000 VND per person per month.

6.10. Honoraria for healthcare personnel concurrently responsible for dengue fever prevention and control in:

- Central provinces and cities implementing the Project: 40,000 VND per quota per month (maximum not exceeding 2 quotas per province/city).

- Key districts and counties of the Project: 20,000 VND per quota per month (maximum not exceeding 2 quotas per district/county).

- Key villages and towns of the Project: One quota per village. The expense level is 20,000 VND per quota per month.

7. Contents of the Community Mental Health Protection Project:

7.1. Purchase of specialized medications for mental health treatment for patients in villages and towns implementing the Project (list of villages and towns implementing the project determined by the Project Management Board).

7.2. Purchase of specialized medical equipment for Project activities such as electroencephalogram machines, cerebral blood flow machines, electroconvulsive therapy machines...

7.3. Expenses for healthcare personnel assigned to regularly distribute medication to patients, one person per village. The expense level is 20,000 VND per person per month.

7.4. Expenses for community collaborators participating in functional rehabilitation for patients in villages and towns. The expense level is 10,000 VND per patient per month in mountainous, remote, and island areas, and 5,000 VND per patient per month in other areas.

7.5. Expenses for healthcare personnel examining and creating medical records for newly identified schizophrenia patients in villages and towns implementing the Project. The expense level is 30,000 VND per record.

7.6. Expenses for model villages implementing integrated mental health protection activities. The expense level is 60,000 VND per village per month.

7.7. Expenses for county-level healthcare personnel tasked with supervising mental health patients in villages implementing the Project. The expense level is 20,000 VND per village per inspection visit.

7.8. Expenses for mental health protection community education activities at various levels. Detailed expense levels are as follows:

- In provinces implementing the Project: 800,000 VND per province per year.

- In districts implementing the Project: 500,000 VND per district per year.

- In villages implementing the Project: 100,000 VND per village per year.

7.9. Expenses for hiring guides to escort first-time mental health patient examinations at home. The expense level is 15,000 VND per person per day in high mountains, remote, and island areas, and 10,000 VND per person per day in other areas.

8. Contents of the Child Malnutrition Prevention and Control Project:

8.1. Purchase of children's height and weight measuring tools.

8.2. Honoraria for dedicated nutrition specialists in key villages and towns, one quota per village/town. The expense level is 20,000 VND per quota per month.

8.3. The fee for nutrition cooperators who are health workers at village and commune levels in key villages and communes; each village and commune has a fixed quota. The expenditure level is 10,000 VND/quota/month.

8.4. Expenditure to support children under two years old who have not gained weight in three consecutive months. The expenditure level is 36,000 VND/child/three months.

8.5. Expenditure to support pregnant women after six months with weight gain less than 2.5 kg. The expenditure level is 30,000 VND/pregnant woman/three months.

8.6. Expenditure for practical nutrition activities and food preparation techniques for pregnant women, at a rate of 2,000 VND/pregnant woman/session and for under-two-year-old children with slow weight gain, at a rate of 2,000 VND/child/session.

8.7. Expenditure to support part of the activities related to breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding.

8.8. Expenditure for nutritional care counseling for pregnant women (weight monitoring, dietary guidance, micronutrient supplementation...).

8.9. Purchase of nutritional products to be provided to pregnant women and children under five years old suffering from malnutrition in model communes.

8.10. Support for regular weighing of children under five years old twice/year. The expenditure level is 500,000 VND/commune/year for mountainous, remote, and island communes and 300,000 VND/commune/year for other communes.

8.11. Expenditure to support some model activities on child health care. The expenditure level is 5,000,000 VND/model/year.

8.12. Expenditure for remuneration of staff concurrently performing the task of Preventing and Controlling Child Malnutrition at:

- Provincial level, centrally administered cities implementing the Project: 40,000 VND/quota/month (maximum not exceeding 2 quotas/provincial level, centrally administered city).

- District level, centrally administered towns implementing the Project: 20,000 VND/quota/month (maximum not exceeding 2 quotas/district level, centrally administered town).

9. Contents of expenditure for the Project Ensuring Quality and Food Safety:

9.1. Purchase of equipment, tools, chemicals for testing contaminated food, serving sampling, preservation, and transportation of food samples during specialized inspections and checks.

9.2. Expenditure for purchasing food samples for testing and checking food safety and hygiene.

9.3. Expenditure for hiring laboratories to test chemical, biological pollution indicators, veterinary drugs in food according to the price set by the competent authority.

9.4. Expenditure to support staff participating in inter-sectoral coordination activities such as regular or spot inspections, sample collection, testing, and surveying chemical, biological pollution indicators, veterinary drugs in food outside the current travel allowance system. The expenditure level is 8,000 VND/person/day.

9.5. Expenditure for hiring local laborers to participate in food poisoning investigations, detecting violations of food quality and safety regulations. The expenditure level is 15,000 VND/person/day.

9.6. Expenditure for the activities of models on managing food quality and safety; monitoring food poisoning in key communes and wards. The expenditure level is 5,000,000 VND/commune, ward/year.

9.7. Expenditure for the construction of technical standards for food quality and safety testing; inter-sectoral cooperation in the construction and review of food safety standards. The expenditure level applies according to Circular Joint No. 45/2001/TTLT/BTC-BKHCNMT dated June 18, 2001, issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Science and Technology and Environment guiding certain expenditure regulations for scientific and technological tasks.

9.8. Expenditure to support food safety cooperators in key communes and wards. The expenditure level is 20,000 VND/commune, ward/month.

9.9. Expenditure for staff concurrently performing food safety work at the following levels:

- Province, centrally administered city implementing the Project: 40,000 VND/quota/month (maximum not exceeding 2 quotas/province, centrally administered city).

- District, centrally administered town implementing the Project: 20,000 VND/quota/month (maximum not exceeding 2 quotas/district, centrally administered town).

10. Contents of expenditure for the Project Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS:

10.1. Expenditure for purchasing equipment, medicines, chemicals, biological products for professional work.

10.2. Expenditure to support peer education or group intervention programs to reduce harm in provinces. Each province receives one quota, and provinces with a high HIV/AIDS infection rate of over 40 people per 100,000 population receive two quotas. The expenditure level is 80,000 VND/quota/month.

10.3. Payment for remuneration of full-time staff responsible for HIV/AIDS prevention, healthcare workers, and prison guards directly caring for, treating, and educating people infected with HIV/AIDS in the following facilities: Key communes and wards; Centers 05, 06; Prisons; Educational institutions, juvenile detention centers. Facilities with up to 50 infected individuals receive one quota; facilities with 51 to 100 infected individuals receive two quotas; facilities with 101 or more infected individuals receive three quotas. The expenditure level is 80,000 VND/quota/month.

10.4. Expenditure to support staff working on surveillance, investigation, and organizing interventions to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in epidemic areas beyond the current travel allowance system. The expenditure level is 12,000 VND/person/day.

10.5. Expenditure for staff directly involved in testing (including organization of testing and other related costs, the number of surveillance samples assigned by the Project Management Board to the facility) as follows:

- Priority surveillance, HIV/STD detection, expenditure level is 5,000 VND/sample.

- Blood screening testing in blood transfusion, expenditure level is 3,000 VND/sample.

10.6. Expenditure to support medical staff directly treating and caring for AIDS patients in state-run healthcare facilities, social welfare institutions managed by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, prisons, temporary detention centers, educational institutions, juvenile detention centers managed by the Ministry of Public Security, or in their homes based on actual treatment days. The expenditure level is 5,000 VND/treatment day/patient.

10.7. Expenditure to support antiretroviral drugs for opportunistic infections for poor HIV/AIDS patients and doctors directly caring for HIV/AIDS patients who have been infected and are being treated in state-run healthcare facilities. The expenditure level is 100,000 VND/patient/year.

10.8. Support for management, care, and counseling activities for people infected with HIV/AIDS in the community and at Centers 05, 06; prisons, educational facilities, and rehabilitation schools shall be provided at the following levels:

- Support for organizing social activities, learning, and information exchange counseling for individuals infected with HIV/AIDS. The level of support is 50,000 VND per HIV/AIDS patient per year.

- Provision of certain preventive tools against HIV/AIDS transmission for HIV/AIDS patients such as condoms and syringes. The level of support is 20,000 VND per person infected per year.

- Support for providing regular medication (at least once every three months) to treat opportunistic infections for AIDS patients. The level of support is 60,000 VND per AIDS patient per year.

- Support for visiting when an AIDS patient dies. The level of support is 50,000 VND per deceased AIDS patient.

10.9. Support for health facilities, Centers 05, 06, prisons, detention centers, educational facilities, and rehabilitation schools to carry out hygiene and epidemic prevention work when there is a death of a person infected with HIV/AIDS. The level of support is 100,000 VND per deceased AIDS patient.

10.10. Partial support for food expenses for HIV/AIDS-infected individuals who are no longer capable of working at Centers 05, 06 of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs when they have exceeded the subsidy period of Programs 05, 06. The support period does not exceed six months. The level of support is 50,000 VND per person per month.

10.11. Support for educational and promotional activities for HIV/AIDS-infected individuals at Centers 05, 06, prisons, and rehabilitation schools. The support is provided through communication materials valued at 5,000 VND per patient per month.

10.12. Payment for staff performing part-time work on HIV/AIDS prevention activities at various levels:

- Provinces and centrally-administered cities implementing the Project: 40,000 VND per standard quota per month (maximum two quotas per province or centrally-administered city).

- Districts, counties, and towns implementing the Project: 20,000 VND per standard quota per month (maximum two quotas per district, county, or town).

10.13. Support for volunteer teams conducting promotional and behavioral change activities in key communes and wards (maximum two volunteers per commune or ward). The level of support is 20,000 VND per person per month.

C. WORKING ON THE PREPARATION OF BUDGET ESTIMATES, DISTRIBUTION, AND SETTLEMENT OF EXPENSES AND REPORTING REGULATIONS:

The financial resources of the National Target Program on Prevention and Control of Certain Social Diseases, Dangerous Epidemics, and HIV/AIDS are managed, budgeted, distributed, and settled according to the provisions of the State Budget Law and current guiding documents. Units using the program's funds must maintain accounting books to record, account for, and settle the program's financial resources in accordance with the regulations of the Government Accounting System. In addition, the inter-ministerial agencies will provide specific guidance on the following additional matters:

1. Reporting System:

Each year, the Health Departments of provinces and centrally-administered cities are responsible for compiling and reporting the allocation of the budget estimates of the Prevention and Control of Social Diseases, Dangerous Epidemics, and HIV/AIDS Program to the Ministry of Health (according to the attached form), and simultaneously sending it to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Heads of Ministries and sectors, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities are responsible for reporting financial status and project implementation results according to current regulations.

2. Due to the special nature of the Prevention and Control of Social Diseases, Dangerous Epidemics, and HIV/AIDS Program, from the beginning of the first quarter each year, the financial authorities responsible for pre-funding the projects' budgets according to their proposals to implement activities.

3. In exceptional cases, according to the decision of the Program Director, the Central Project Management Board may transfer funds to ministries, sectors, and localities to fulfill contractual responsibilities for specialized tasks. The Head of the Project Management Board or the head of the unit assigned to manage the project's budget must approve the expenditure budget according to the current national standards and rates. Ministries, sectors, and localities are responsible for spending according to the standards and rates and preparing a final settlement report of the allocated funds sent to the Project Management Board (with copies of expenditure vouchers) for approval and consolidation into the project's final settlement.

4. For funding provided in kind:

- When central projects distribute goods to units, they must inform the provincial Health Department (for local health) and the supervising agency (for ministries and sectors) about the quantity and unit price of each type of goods distributed so that the provincial Health Department and supervising agency can monitor and manage. For fixed assets, there must be a handover protocol between the Project Management Board, the recipient representative, the provincial Health Department (or supervising agency), and the provincial Department of Finance and Price. The provincial Health Department and supervising agency are responsible for guiding units to properly track, manage, and effectively use the distributed goods.

- Central projects are responsible for summarizing and settling the value of goods distributed to ministries, sectors, and localities in the final settlement report of the project to be consolidated by the Ministry of Health for settlement with the central budget. Ministries, sectors, and localities receiving funding in kind from the Central Project Management Board do not need to settle with their own budgets but must maintain records to closely monitor the issuance, use, and inventory of the distributed goods.

D. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS:

This Circular takes effect 15 days after its signing date and replaces Circular Joint No. 30/1999/TT-LT dated March 23, 1999, and No. 14/2000/TT-LT dated February 22, 2000, of the Ministry of Finance and Health; Circular No. 128/1999/TT-BTC dated October 26, 1999, and Circular No. 19/2001/TT-BTC dated March 30, 2001, of the Ministry of Finance. Previous regulations inconsistent with this Circular are abolished. The funds to implement this Circular are allocated within the annual budget of the Program assigned by the State. For the year 2002, it is proposed to allocate within the already assigned budget. Any difficulties encountered during implementation should be reported to the inter-ministerial agencies for consideration and resolution.