Social News 28/9 Mekong Delta needs VND153 trillion for climate change responses The Mekong Delta will need VND153 trillion (around US$6.7 billion) between now and 2020 to cope with climate change, improve resilience and promote green development, said Pham Hoang Mai, head of the Department of Science, Education, Natural Resources and Environment under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Mai, speaking at a conference in Can Tho City on September 26, said the capital demand is based on the delta’s master spatial planning, climate change and sea level rise scenario, the Mekong Delta Plan (MDP), studies on public expenditures of the Mekong Delta’s provinces and the green and sustainable development plan. According to Mai, the delta has a huge demand for capital to cushion impacts of climate change on transport, irrigation and social development. However, there has not been a specific study to calculate the delta’s actual capital demand and give a general solution to the delta. According to studies by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, climate change can cause damages equivalent to 2-6% of gross domestic product (GDP). “Particularly, a study of the United States Agency for International Development shows that the Mekong Delta could face damages equaling 3-4% of its GDP due to climate change,” said Mai. According to such studies, the delta will need about VND105 trillion to solve the consequences of climate change in the 2016-2020 period. According to MDP’s no-regret scenario for improvement of resistance, the delta has 58 projects in water supply and drainage, wastewater treatment and irrigation sectors, with total capital needs of VND43 trillion. The Ministry of Planning and Investment is working with German international cooperation agency GIZ to build a plan for the delta’s green and sustainable development. “It is estimated that the delta will need VND5 trillion for green development in the 2016-2020 period,” Mai said. Overall, the Mekong Delta will require a total of VND153 billion for the above three tasks between 2016 and 2020. However, Mai said the State budget can only manage VND90.8 trillion. Quang Nam to spend 5 million USD upgrading fishing port Central Quang Nam province will spend 120 billion VND (5.28 million USD) renovating Tam Quang Fishing Port in Nui Thanh district to improve logistics services for fishermen. The district has the largest number of offshore fishing vessels in the province, while Tam Quang Fishing Port welcomes thousands of fishing boats from neighbouring provinces to dock for fish sales, fuel refill or to avoid storms each year. The new 2.5-ha fishing port will meet first-class national standards, featuring a wharf where water more than five metres deep and a logistics facility. The port, which has an annual capacity of 16,000 tonnes of fishes, is expected to be put into use by early 2019. The old port is in poor condition and has become overloaded, especially during peak season due to increasing number of fishing boats in Quang Nam. According to Vice Chairman of the district’s People Committee Nguyen Van Thinh, Nui Thanh has been clearing land for the project and will help the contractor complete it on schedule. The district has also facilitated local fishermen’s access to loans to build logistics vessels. Two Vietnam sommeliers to join competition in Taiwan Nguyen Khac Huy and Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, the first and second prize winners of the Vietnam Best Sommelier Competition in French Wines 2017, will represent Vietnam in the Grand Final competition in Taipei, Taiwan in December. Both Nguyen Khac Huy, 25, and Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, 28, are from HCMC. In the final competition in Taiwan, they will compete with other candidates from other Asian countries as Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, and China. Seeds of Hope begins in HCM City The Seeds of Hope programme that promotes sustainable professional integration for young Vietnamese in the fields of residential and industrial electricity and automotive maintenance was officially launched at a ceremony held in HCM City yesterday. The programme operates in partnership with vocational training schools as well as a number of companies and agencies. Seeds of Hope is being run on a trial basis under the European Institute for Development Cooperation (IECD) in Việt Nam at two sites: HCM City Technical and Economic College (HOTEC) and Thủ Đức College of Technology (TDC). The programme not only helps create more opportunities for students in career development but also enhances domestic and international integration. Việt Nam continues to have a high rate of unemployed young people, while vocational training remains unattractive to many students, creating a mismatch with the labour market despite strong demand, especially in the electricity sector. Seeds of Hope targets people aged 15 to 25. The support includes either a three-year-long vocational training programme or short training modules on renewable energies and energy efficiency. It aims to improve career prospects for about 1,400 young people by 2019. IECD experts will help develop standards and content for teaching and training programmes. Students at the two schools will be exposed to a quality learning environment that will allow them to develop occupational skills and life skills for integration into the labor market. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Phạm Ngọc Thanh, the deputy chairman of the city’s Department of Education and Training, said the city, which has 77.5 per cent of trained workers, has set a target to have at least 85 per cent of trained workers by 2020. “Seeds of Hope will help meet the demand of the city’s plan on raising the quality of labourers,” he said. He said the programme would significantly improve the quality of vocational training for Vietnamese students and help promote cooperation between schools and enterprises as well as contribute to reducing the unemployment rate of young people in the city. Nguyễn Thị Lý from the TDC thanked the IECD, experts and companies for their contribution to the programme and said she hoped to receive more support from the  IECD, companies and authorities in the near future. At the ceremony, partnership agreements in cooperation and development between IECD and two of the colleges were signed. Red Cross begins charity campaign for storm victims The Việt Nam Red Cross Society yesterday launched its campaign to solicit relief assistance for people affected by Typhoon Doksuri this month, the year’s 10th storm over the East Sea, in central provinces, especially Quảng Bình and Hà Tĩnh. The campaign will last until the end of October, and all the money collected from local and international organisations, companies, individuals and the community during it will be used to buy essential goods and support victims’ livelihoods. In the event, VNĐ430 million (roughly US$19,000) was raised. Besides receiving donations in cash and kind, the Red Cross also has a charity text message campaign. People can donate VNĐ20,000 per SMS by texting UH to 1409. On September 29 and 30 the Red Cross together with the Việt Nam Red Cross Sponsor Council will donate money and relief materials in Quảng Bình and Hà Tĩnh. The typhoon killed nine people and injured 112 others and damaged nearly 200,000 houses and other structures. Four remain missing. The total damage has been estimated at VNĐ11.3 trillion ($496 million).  Initiative to improve professional skills of Vietnamese doctors The Health Ministry’s Medical Services Administration (MSA) and the British Medical Journal (BMJ) on September 27 launched the clinical decision support training initiative to medical services in Vietnam with the aim to improve the detection, diagnosis and control of infectious diseases. The launch was conducted within the framework of a workshop to transfer BMJ’s professional guidance to Vietnam’s medical check-up and treatment system. Attending the workshop were Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Viet Tien, UK Ambassador to Vietnam Giles Lever, representatives from the BMJ and the US’s Defence Threat Reduction Agency, and leaders and doctors of hospitals in Hanoi. Speaking at the event, Deputy Health Minister Tien said improvement of medical services and overcrowding at hospitals was one of the major priorities of the health sector in the coming years. The cooperation between MSA and BMJ will help the health sector meet the increasing demand of health care and treatment in Vietnam, he added. “Today’s clinicians deal with a wealth of constantly changing information and it is increasingly difficult to keep the knowledge and practice current. We feel privileged to be using our international expertise to deliver trusted, evidence-based knowledge to Vietnam health care professionals,” Mitali Wroczynski, head of Strategic Partnerships at BMJ, said. “We will not only help accelerate progress for a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats but also establish a comprehensive and sustainable training and clinical decision support programme that will address broader health care priorities in Vietnam, and support continuing medical education and professional development,” Wroczynski added. The initiative provides health care professionals with evidence-based online tools and resources, including BMJ Best Practice and BMJ Learning, which together cover over 90 percent of the most commonly presented conditions across primary and secondary care. Clinicians will receive online, offline and mobile access to over 1,000 clinical decision support topics and over 800 online learning modules. A significant proportion of this content will be translated into Vietnamese. The initiative will help address national notifiable diseases, including Anthrax and Avian Influenza; diseases of significant concern such as Brucellosis; and infectious diseases such as HIV, multi-drug resistant TB and Malaria. However, the comprehensive coverage provided by the programme will play a dual role in supporting the top health care priorities of Vietnam, including stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, diabetes, hypertension and many other non-communicable diseases. Vietnam currently has more than 1,300 hospitals and medical facilities with 250,000 beds that serve 150 million visits of outpatients and 15 million inpatients yearly, according to the health ministry. China’s 68th National Day marked in Hanoi Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hong Xiaoyong hosted a banquet in Hanoi on September 27 to celebrate the 68th National Day of the People’s Republic of China (October 1). The ambassador highlighted the achievements that the Chinese Party, Government and people have gained over the past 68 years as well as the recent positive progress in the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. He affirmed that China is willing to boost win-win cooperation with Vietnam and elevate bilateral relations to a new height, thus contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world as well. Vo Van Thuong, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Information and Education Commission, congratulated China on its accomplishments over the past 68 years. Thuong expressed his belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people will reap more successes in building a well-off society and building China into a modern, rich, strong, civilised and harmonious socialist country. The official affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State treasure and want to join hands with their Chinese counterparts to strengthen the traditional friendship and develop bilateral relations in a stable and healthy manner for the sake of their people, the region and the world.- Vice President presents gifts, scholarships to needy children Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh on September 27 presented scholarships and gifts to 100 disadvantaged children in central Thua Thien-Hue province to help them enjoy the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. Thirty children living in SOS Children’s Village Hue and 70 others from poor families in Phu Vang district received the scholarships and gifts each worth 1.5 million VND in recognition of their excellent academic results. Thinh, who is also President of the Council of the National Fund for Vietnamese Children (NFVC), spoke highly of the achievements of the SOS Children’s Village Hue over the past 17 years.  She praised the village’s 13 teachers and staff members for their efforts to overcome many difficulties to take care of the disadvantaged children and hoped that they will keep up their jobs in the future. The NFVC took the occasion to hand over 30 million VND to the village as an encouragement to the teachers and staff. The SOS Children’s Village Hue is home to 71 children, including infants. Up to 71 percent of students in the village achieved good academic results in the 2016-2017 school year. Project promotes job opportunities for youths in HCM City The Seeds of Hope project, which promotes sustainable professional integration for young Vietnamese in the fields of residential and industrial electricity and automotive maintenance, was officially launched in HCM City on September 27. The project operates in partnership with vocational training schools as well as a number of companies and agencies. Seeds of Hope is being run on a trial basis under the European Institute for Development Cooperation (IECD) in Vietnam at two sites: HCM City Technical and Economic College (HOTEC) and Thu Duc College of Technology (TDC). It not only helps create more opportunities for students in career development but also enhances domestic and international integration. Vietnam continues to have a high rate of unemployed young people, while vocational training remains unattractive to many students, creating a mismatch with the labour market despite strong demand, especially in the electricity sector. Seeds of Hope targets people aged 15 to 25. The support includes either a three-year-long vocational training programme or short training modules on renewable energies and energy efficiency. It aims to improve career prospects for about 1,400 young people by 2019. IECD experts will help develop standards and content for teaching and training programmes. Students at the two schools will be exposed to a quality learning environment that will allow them to develop occupational skills and life skills for integration into the labor market. Speaking at the launch ceremony, Pham Ngoc Thanh, Deputy Chairman of the city’s Department of Education and Training, said the city, which has 77.5 percent of trained workers, has set a target to have at least 85 percent of trained workers by 2020. “Seeds of Hope will help meet the demand of the city’s plan on raising the quality of labourers,” he said. He said the project would significantly improve the quality of vocational training for Vietnamese students and help promote cooperation between schools and enterprises as well as contribute to reducing the unemployment rate of young people in the city. Nguyen Thi Ly from the TDC thanked the IECD, experts and companies for their contribution to the project and said she hopes to receive more support from the  IECD, companies and authorities in the near future. At the ceremony, partnership agreements in cooperation and development between IECD and two of the colleges were signed. Vietnam’s traditional culture introduced to APEC guests Some of the best culinary, musical and costume identities of Vietnam, including the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, were introduced to Asian-Pacific guests at a cultural night in Hue city on September 27. The event, themed “Stillness of Sense and Soul: Women Empowerment and Cultural Identity”, was held on the fringe of the ongoing APEC Women and the Economy Forum.  Narrated by storyteller Trac Thuy Mieu, the night at the Hue Culture Museum, located on the bank of the Huong River, told participants five stories about the life of royal families in the past, which was re-enacted by actors and actresses. The performances were closely associated with the serving order of Hue-styled vegetarian dishes invented by culinary artisan Ho Thi Hoang Anh. Through exhibitions at the event, guests also had a chance to gain an insight into modern designs of “ao dai” (traditional long dress of Vietnam) by local young designers, along with rare ingredients for the special vegetarian dishes served during the night. In her speech, President of Ho Chi Minh City’s Peace and Development Foundation Ton Nu Thi Ninh, an organiser of the event, said the cultural night was held on the sidelines of the women and the economy forum because economy and culture cannot be disassociated and respecting culture will help ensure sustainable economic development. Culture also directly contributes to economic growth such as through tourism, film industry and entertainment activities. Meanwhile, women play a key role in preserving and promoting cultural identities in economic activities, which can also be seen through female artisans, she noted, adding that Thua Thien-Hue province and its Hue city is an outstanding example of preserving and bringing into play culture in order to serve economic and social development. The 2017 APEC Women and the Economy Forum is taking place in Hue from September 26 to 29 under the theme “Enhancing women’s economic inclusion and empowerment in the changing world”. It is part of a series of activities throughout the APEC Year 2017 in Vietnam, which joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in 1998. Up to 24,000 meth pills seized in Dien Bien Law enforcement authorities of northern Dien Bien province on September 27 arrested one drug trafficker and seized 24,000 methamphetamine pills. According to Le Ba Long, Head of the Drug Crime Investigation Department of the provincial Border Guard Command, a transnational drug ring was detected transporting drugs from Oudomxay province to Muong May district in Phongsaly province of Laos, and then selling them in Vietnam’s Dien Bien province. Two suspects, were discovered travelling from Muong May district to Vietnam’s Tay Trang border gate in Dien Bien province. One of them, named Cu Chan Ly, was arrested in possession of 24,000 amphetamine pills, while the other escaped. The detained suspect, a Lao national, born in 1996, said he and the other suspect bought the drugs and intended to sell them in Vietnam, according to police. The case is under further investigation. Filipino singers to perform at city centre Filipino tenor Jenmai de Asis and soprano Sitti Gomez will stage a classical music performance “Pinoy Sounds” at Kova Center on September 30. Both singers are graduates of the University of St La Salle in the Philippines. They have performed around the Philippines, and Asia including China, Thailand, Cambodia and Việt Nam. The show will take place from 6:30pm - 9 pm at 92 Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh Street in Bình Thạnh District. Tickets are VNĐ300,000 and can be purchased at www.ticketbox.vn. Vietnamese artists to perform in contemporary dance The “Lộ” (Road) contemporary dance work will be staged at the HCM City Dance School tonight by young Vietnamese dancers and choreographers. The 50-minute performance will feature routines choreographed by Lê Mai Anh, a graduate of Rencontres Internationales de Danse Contemporaine in Paris, and Phạm Diệu Hương, a dancer with the Paris-based dance crews 4ème Sous Sol and Diminutomax. The show will also highlight violist Phạm Vũ Thiên Bảo, a graduate of the National Conservatory of Music in Lyon, who is now a lecturer at the HCM City Conservatory of Music.  Dancers from dance groups CUCA Dance Atelier of Hà Nội and HCM City will perform in the show as well. A discussion about contemporary dance will follow the dance performance. The performance will begin at 7:30 pm at 155 Bis Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa Street in District 3. Entrance is VNĐ120,000. Vietnam responds to World Rabies Day Representatives from ministries, departments and international organizations, together with a large number of local people, attended a meeting to mark the World Rabies Day on Wednesday, September 27th in northern Bac Giang Province. Delivering a keynote speech at the ceremony, Dam Xuan Thanh, deputy head of the Animal Health Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said there are more than 7.7 million dogs across the country, however, only 2.9 million dogs have been vaccinated against rabies. The number of fatalities caused by rabies seems to be increasing in Vietnam. Last year, rabies spread by dogs claimed the lives of 91 people, up 17% compared to 2015 and 38% compared to 2014. During the first nine months of this year, 57 people died of rabies. In the coming time, the MARD in coordination with the Ministry of Health will better implement measures proposed at the National Rabies Prevention and Control Program in the 2017-2021 period and disseminate information to raise public awareness on rabies prevention, said Mr Thanh. Jong-Ha Bae who represents a number of international organization in Vietnam, said Vietnam can eliminate rabies with the cooperation of authorities and local people. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) pledged to support Vietnam’s rabies prevention program. After the meeting, hundreds of people joined a march to support the World Rabies Day in Bac Giang City. Car crashes 2 motorbikes, seriously injuring 3 A serious traffic accident occurred at 6:30am on September 27 on 257 Tran Dai Nghia Street in Hanoi. A 4-seat car lost control of its brakes, crashing into 2 motorbikes coming from the opposite direction, seriously injuring 3 people, one of which was a 60-year-old man. All of them were rushed to hospital immediately after that. The car has been identified as being a Kia Morning brand with licence plates 30E- 44251. The driver was also a man and the vehicle was severely damaged in the accident. At the scene, a Yamaha Exciter motorbike was trapped under the car. Meanwhile, the head of the Viva motorbike was completely destroyed.    The police are making further investigations into the case.     Vietnam applies gene therapy to cancer treatment Vietnam has begun implementing gene and immune cell therapies, with the goal of tailoring cancer treatments to individual patients. According to Ta Thanh Van, Vice Principal of the Hanoi Medical University (HMU), the university has successfully applied gene therapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment. At present, they are adopting immune cell therapy technology to treat cancer. With the success in receiving and applying the Japanese-transferred cell technology, the university has proposed a plan to implement it in public hospitals to the Ministry of Health. This will lay a foundation to develop higher technologies including recombinant DNA technology and immune cell therapy. Immune cell therapy, developed over the past decade, aims to rebalance and increase the strength of immune responses to effectively kill cancer cells. When patients suffer from cancer, abnormal cells form, causing an immune system imbalance. Normally, the human body can detect the imbalance and find a way to block and kill those cells. However, the weakened immune system cannot prevent abnormal cells from developing and forming tumors. The immune cell therapy requires drawing blood from patients and separating out the major immune cells of a patient (T cells). Next, using a disarmed virus, the T-cells are genetically engineered to produce receptors on their surface.  These special receptors allow the T-cells to recognize and attach to a specific protein, or antigen, on tumor cells. After that, the cells are grown in the laboratory into the hundreds of millions.  The final step is the infusion of the T-cells into the patient. If all goes as planned, the engineered cells further multiply in the patient’s body and, with guidance from their engineered receptor, recognise and kill cancer cells that harbor the antigen on their surfaces. In Vietnam, one method of high-tech targeted treatment uses “small-molecule drugs” which can block the process that helps cancer cells multiply and spread. They work by targeting specific genes or proteins found in cancer cells or in cells related to cancer growth. Targeted therapy depends on the responsiveness of individual patients’ cancer patients. Some patients can adapt to it well while others cannot. Targeted therapy fails to succeed in over 30% of patients. Therefore, patients need to take a genetic test to evaluate the state of their cancer cells before any treatment. HMU is the pioneer in implementing this technique in Vietnam. So far, targeted therapy has brought about positive results. The first and second-generation drugs are covered by the social insurance programme.      Fire breaks out at central gas station A fire broke out at a 4,200sq.m gas extraction station in the central Nghệ An Province at 8.30pm on Wednesday, the Lao Động (Labour) online newspaper reported. Lê Duy Thảo, a witness, told the newspaper he saw workers running out of the station, located in Hoàng Mai Town’s Quỳnh Lộc Commune, after the fire broke out, which was followed by a series of loud noises. Dozens of firefighters and fire trucks rushed to the station. The fire was extinguished two hours later, at some 11.30pm. Two small trucks and a number of fire extinguishers were destroyed, Zing.vn reported. No casualties have been reported, so far. A deeper investigation of the accident is underway. Alexandre Yersin Prize 2017 to encourage medical researchers in Vietnam Launched and organized by HELVIETMED, a Swiss-Vietnamese Association, in cooperation with the Consulate General of Switzerland in Ho Chi Minh City, the Alexandre Yersin Prize 2017 is set to encourage medical researchers in Vietnam to make significant contributions to medical literature and will recognize outstanding research achievements. Named in honor of Dr. Alexandre Yersin, a Swiss-born physician and bacteriologist who was a pioneer in medical research in Vietnam, the Prize will go to the best published research in the 24 months prior to the closing date on December 31. For the inaugural prize, the duration is five years. To qualify, research must be conducted in Vietnam, with only original articles and/or case studies with new data. Candidates must be the first author and correspondence author of the published paper, or the “main author” whose contribution is explicitly specified in the paper. The evaluation is based on five criteria: scientific quality, significance, innovation, scientific impact, and journal prestige. There are three prizes each year, with each worth VND30 million ($1,320). To honor the Prize winner as well as Dr. Yersin, the award ceremony will be organized in association with the Swiss Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City at a convenient venue. To honor authors for their work, organizers may organize a scientific conference in which the authors may present their results to a wider public of physicians, researchers, and other interested parties. The presentation, in power-point format, will also be put on the organizers’ website. The announcement of the Prize will be broadcast in communication channels such as Facebook, blogs, advertisements in non-medical journals, and professional networks of HELVIETMED members and their colleagues from Vietnamese universities. Help from the Swiss Consulate may be needed to reach other health-related authorities. Results will be announced via email by February 28, 2018. Candidates are advised to prepare a short dossier that includes a PDF-version of the paper(s) for consideration and a short non-technical essay (at a maximum of 200 words) explaining the rationale, aim, findings, and significance of the paper. The dossier should be sent by email to the office of HELVIETMED: qvnguyen@swissonline.ch. Founded in 2011 by medical doctors of Vietnamese origin, HELVIETMED is a Swiss non-profit and humanitarian association with the aim of promoting cooperation between Swiss and Vietnamese institutions and individuals in the fields of health, medical education, and research. It also supports poor medical students in Vietnam through scholarships and mentoring.     Nearly 300 children with cleft lips and palates to receive free operations in October Nonprofit, medical service, organisation Operation Smile (OS) has announced its new free facial surgery campaign for congenital malformations in Vietnamese children in the month of October, with the aim of bringing “new smiles” to nearly 300 children with cleft lips and palates nationwide. A cleft lip and palate is one of the most common malformations for infants in Vietnam, not only negatively affecting their appearance, but also their development and psychology. Next month, 300 children are expected to be operated on by OS Vietnam and its partners in Hanoi, Nghe An province and Ho Chi Minh City for free. Following the cooperation between Dr. Fu-chan Wei and Dr. Jeng-Feng Seng - the world's leading experts in surgical microsurgery – and the OS in 2002, Chinese Taipei’s E-Da Hospital has helped the organisation to provide training and to transfer medical technologies on microsurgery to Vietnam. Many doctors and practitioners have advanced their expertise in the area and are currently holding important positions at leading hospitals in the country. To mark a new turning point in the cooperation, next month OS Vietnam, in collaboration with E-Da Hospital and Hanoi-based National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology, will organise the surgical programme for children with cleft lips and palates. This is the first E-Da supported programme in Vietnam as a sponsor and the hospital will send medical experts to the host country in order to directly perform humanitarian surgery on child patients. Children with cleft lips must be at least six months old and weigh at least 8kg to be eligible for an operation. For children with cleft palates, they must be at least 18 months old and weigh 10-12kg or more to join the programme. All of the patients must not have any congenital diseases such as heart disease, epilepsy or neurological disease. All surgeries will be performed free of charge and the patients will also be supported for part of the travel and accommodation costs during their stay. From October 13-20, around 80-100 children will be examined and operated on at the National Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology, No. 40A Trang Thi street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi. Another 80-100 child patients are expected to be offered free surgery at Vinh International Hospital, No. 99 Pham Dinh Toai street, Nghi Phu commune, Vinh city (Nghe An province) from October 16 to 20. In Ho Chi Minh City, as many as 60-80 children will receive treatment at the University Medical Centre HCMC, No. 215 Hong Bang street, Ward 11, District 5, from October 9-12. Surgical registrations can be made through OS Vietnam’s hotline in Hanoi at 024.3936 5426 and HCMC at 028.2222 1008 during office hours or the hotline at 090 488 5555. Operating in Vietnam since 1989, OS has offered examinations and operations for more than 40,000 children with congenital facial malformations. VRCS calls for over VND 430 mln for typhoon- hit areas The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRCS) yesterday launched a campaign to support typhoon Doksuri-hit residents in the central provinces. The Central Executive Committee of Vietnam Red Cross Society in collaboration with the Sponsor Council of Vietnam Red Cross Society and the Southern Representative Office of Vietnam Red Cross Society yesterday jointly launched a program to call on supporting for storm- hit residents in the central provinces of Quang Binh and Ha Tinh. At the launching ceremony, nationwide enterprises and sponsors contributed more than VND 430 million to help the localities to overcome consequences after the typhoon.  The campaign lasts by October, 2017.  As plan, the Southern Representative Office of Vietnam Red Cross Society and the Standing Sponsor Council of Vietnam Red Cross Society will visit and offer gifts for 1,000 families with their difficult life in  the two provinces on September 29, 30.  A text-message campaign supporting affected localities in the central provinces was launched on the same day. People can send message via SMS by texting UH then send to 1409 from September 7 to November 7 with VND 20,000 for a message.  Earlier, the Central Executive Committee of Vietnam Red Cross Society supported more than VND 1.5 billion to effected provinces.  Vietnam’s National Day celebrated in France, Italy Ceremonies marking Vietnam’s 72nd National Day (September 2) were held in France and Italy on September 27. Addressing the event in France, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Ngoc Son said that Vietnam has been developing rapidly and become a responsible member of the international community. The diplomat also expressed his hope that Vietnam–France relations will see strong development steps in 2018 as the two countries celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the fifth anniversary of their strategic partnership. At the ceremony, participants enjoyed a fashion show featuring Vietnamese ao dai (traditional long dress) with traditional music at the Petit Palais Art Museum in France’s capital of Paris. A project titled “Vietnam house” of Vietnam’s Tourism Ambassador to France Anoa Suzanne Dussol Perran was also introduced at the event. It is being built in Hauts-de-Seine province of France, to be used as a place to showcase Vietnamese culture, such as ao dai and paintings, and gastronomy. Meanwhile, the ceremony in Rome, Italy, was attended by representatives from Italian ministries and overseas Vietnamese in the country. Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Cao Chinh Thien lauded Vietnam–Italy relations, which have become more practical with many important projects and regional cooperation models. The ambassador stressed that the State visit to Italy in 2016 by Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and achievements made this year will be an important foundation for the two nations celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2018. For his part, Senator Pier Ferdinando Casini, Chairman of the Italian Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, highlighted the bilateral relationship as a model of traditional friendship, in line with the needs and benefits of the people of both countries. VNN