Social News Headlines 3/3 UK Prince presents helmets to children Michael George Charles Franklin, Prince of Kent, the UK, presented helmets to pupils at Hanoi’s Van Phuc Primary School on February 28. It is part of a “helmets for children” project sponsored by the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP) and the UK Road Safety Fund (FIA). The Prince said he has toured many countries, met world leaders and told them about Vietnam’s efforts in enforcing traffic laws and encouraging road users to wear helmets when hitting the road. He attributed the success to efforts by Government agencies, non-government organizations, donors and communication agencies. On the occasion, he gave a road traffic safety award named after him to Vietnam Television (VTV) for its contribution to disseminating information to raise public awareness of traffic safety. The “helmets for children” project, launched by AIP President Greig Craft in 1999, has provided more than 500,000 helmets to children in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. Vietnamese concerned about Ukraine violence About 5,000 Vietnamese residents in Ukraine’s Kharkov city are worried about their future lives and business operations following recent blood violence in the city. Vu Dinh Thieng, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam Committee in Kharcov, told Vietnam Television on March 3, local Vietnamese residents have not felt at ease since bloody clashes spread to Kharkov from capital Kiev. On March 2, a demonstration for peace in front of the city’s council hall later turned into a clash, injuring 100. Although the situation was brought under control, no one is sure violence could flare up at any time. Kharkov is home to about 5,000 Vietnamese people, accounting for more than 70% of the total Vietnamese residing in Ukraine. Most of them run business and reap success in the city. Many Vietnamese fear their children will be forced to join the army following Ukraine Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyk’s warning his crisis-hit country is on the ‘brink of disaster,’ Thieng said. He added some Vietnamese residents have made evacuation plans while others are preparing necessary procedures to fly back to Vietnam in the event of a war. Vietnamese-owned business operations have also been put at a serious disadvantage as high foreign currency exchange rates do not fuel sales. Thieng said the Vietnamese association in Kharkov has updated the residents on new developments in the city and contacted relevant Vietnamese agencies in Ukraine to support them if the war breaks out.  Over 1,800 traffic fatalities in first two months The first two months of the year saw 4,834 traffic accidents, killing 1,818 people and leaving another 4,741 injured. Traffic accidents dropped in three criteria: the number of accidents (14.8%), fatalities (5.6%) and injuries (18.2%), according to the National Committee for Traffic Safety. However, traffic accidents during traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) continue to remain a deadly serious matter and resulted in 338 traffic accidents claiming the lives of 286 and injuring 324. This is attributable to poor awareness of road users, especially those in rural areas about traffic law requiring to follow traffic lights, wear helmets, not to drink wine and beer and not drive over the speed limit. Low-quality bolts brought bridge down: minister An initial investigation has blamed Monday's deadly collapse of a bridge in the northwestern mountainous province of Lai Chau on sub-standard bolts anchoring bridge cables, said Transport Minister Dinh La Thang on February 28. The accident killed eight people and injured 40 others. Officials report that the bridge collapsed when a funeral procession was crossing the suspension bridge, which connects Chu Va 8 Village to Chu Va 6 Village in Tam Duong District. The bolts anchoring the bridge's cables were carelessly made, Thang told a Government meeting on February 28, adding that they were joined, instead of being completely founded, thus reducing their ability to support the weight of the structure. According to the ministry's report, which was released on February 28, initial reports from the independent investigation team, which includes top construction experts, revealed that bolts anchoring cables along the side towards Chu Va 8 Village were broken, reducing the holding capacity of the main cable and causing the bridge to turn over, hurling victims to the ground. A temporary wooden bridge, which has been built next to the collapsed one, was opened on February 28 for local residents. The 2-m-wide new bridge is able to allow for the passing of people and motorbikes. The construction ministry has instructed the People's Committees of localities to check and assess the quality of all suspension bridges nationwide and tighten controls over the maintenance of these bridges. Many suspension bridges were built between 10-20 years ago, or even longer, and have deteriorated, posing higher risks of collapsing. The transport ministry is drawing up a plan to build more than 1,000 bridges in rural areas throughout the country, including 200 suspension bridges. Health sector well prepared for epidemics Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said the sector has taken a series of drastic measures to prevent infectious diseases, including measles and avian influenza, from running rampant across the country. In a weekly Q&A session run by the Government’s portal on March 2, Tien said contagious diseases such as measles and bird flu have struck a number of localities and they are at serious risk of engulfing the nation. Measles have not only broken out in far-flung areas in the northern highland provinces of Yen Bai, Lao Cai, and Son La, but are becoming increasingly common in localities like Hanoi and HCM City. Minister Tien said measles is a relatively common disease that is preventable provided children receive two required vaccinations. She explained that children who have yet to receive both shots are more susceptible to contracting the disease. In the face of the increasing numbers of incidences being reported, the MoH has asked health departments nationwide to ensure all children are promptly vaccinated. It has also released clinical guidelines on diagnosis and treatment, as well as vaccination, aiming to reduce child fatalities. Vaccinating free-range ducks against bird flu Meanwhile, the deadly A/H5N1 avian flu has spread to more than 20 provinces and cities since the beginning of this year. The MoH has intensified communication campaigns to raise public awareness of the danger of the epidemic, and prevention methods. Local people are warned not to get in contact with or eat sick or dead poultry. Two people who died of bird flu early this year were reported to have eaten sick or dead poultry. Minister Tien said the health sector has increased staff training and has mobilised high inventories of medicine and equipment to cope with a potential national outbreak. Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien confirmed the health sector’s hotline has initially proved effective since it was first established two months ago. Approximately 50% of callers asked for medical guidelines and consultations, and lodged complaints about doctors’ behavior. The MoH has asked all provincial health departments and hospitals to proved answers to the public’s questions as soon as they receive, hoping to satisfy callers. Tien said hospital leaders are required to take turns and work around the clock to field queries and complaints from patients and their relatives. For the first time the MoH has released a Code of Conduct in the health sector, enabling hospital directors to effectively resolve and deal with violations. The MoH is working closely with military-run telecom group Viettel to establish a mobile switchboard model in the second phase, capable of receiving and handling hundreds of calls at the same time. Education Ministry steps up avian flu prevention measures The Ministry of Education and Training has asked its departments, educational institutes and vocational schools to co-operate with the health sector and other relevant agencies in the fight against avian flu, especially A(H7N9). In particular, schools should be vigilant and monitor the health of their students and staff closely, and report any cases of avian flu immediately. Flu prevention information should be provided to students and staff so that they can recognise the infection, identify different strains of the virus and adopt suitable hygiene habits to prevent infection. Similarly, schools were asked to improve food safety and hygiene standards in their canteens and advised that all poultry be well-cooked. Health experts warned that although the country facing a high risk of an outbreak of the new H7N9 avian flu, to date no infections in either poultry or humans, of this particular strain have been reported. Neighbouring provinces in China have seen an increased incidence of H7N9 flu, they said, adding that this strain of flu could enter the country through smuggled poultry. They also warned of more small outbreaks of the less virulent H5N1 flu in Vietnam over the coming months. So far, 24 provinces and cities have reported cases of the infection in poultry and humans. To combat the infection, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Ministry of Health have set up inspection teams for flu prevention in the provinces. Although incidences and fatalities of avian flu have reduced, Vietnam still is third highest in the world for incidences of bird flu, following Egypt and Indonesia. Usually, the country records two or three incidences a year, but in the first two months of this year alone, there have been two fatalities. The MARD agreed to provide 15,000 litres of chemicals to the provinces of Thanh Hoa, Khanh Hoa and Tay Ninh, to help destroy infected poultry safely. Canada aims to attract Vietnamese students Canada will host education exhibitions at Hanoi’s Melia Hotel on March 8 and HCM City’s Intercontinental Hotel on March 9, aiming to promote education opportunities in the country. Prospective students and their parents will have the chance to meet with representatives of leading Canadian schools and Vietnamese alumni, exploring life and study in Canada. A wealth of information about available scholarships and grants will be available along with information on obtaining study visas. More than 200,000 international students are currently studying in Canada. Degrees in Canada are recognised worldwide while tuition fees are much cheaper than other developed countries. In addition, Canada is generally considered one of the safest places in the world to live. For more information, please visit www.canada-edu.org. French locality supports Vietnamese AO victims The Committee for the Van Canh Friendship Village (CVCFV) in Essonne province, on the outskirts of Paris, held “Vietnam Day” on March 1 to raise money for Vietnamese Agent Orange victims. Traditional Vietnamese handicrafts, such as lacquer paintings, bamboo and embroidery products were sold as a fundraiser for the building of a swimming pool at the Van Canh Friendship Village in Vietnam. The organizing board put together an exhibition of pictures and articles reflecting the US army spraying harmful dioxin chemicals into central, central highlands and southern regions of Vietnam. A documentary film on the US army’s war crimes with sorrow images of AO victims in Vietnam was also screened Raphael Vahe, President of the French CVCFV and President of the French Republic's Association of War Veterans and Victims (ARAC) described the building of Van Canh Friendship Village as a symbol of friendship, reconciliation and cooperation and a practical way to deal with the devastating aftermath of war in Vietnam. The Vietnam Friendship Village project was formed and based on an International Committee VCFV and other committees associated with VCFV in the US, France, Germany, Japan, the UK, Canada and Vietnam. The Friendship Village was built in Van Canh village, Hanoi in 1998 and serves as a hospital and school caring for around 60 war veterans and 120 children of AO victims. During “Vietnam Day”, French historian Alain Ruscio presented a report on President Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese people who defeated two powerful imperialists – France and the US. Denise Henry, a member of CVCFV, said many such committees have been established in French regions aiming to launch regular activities and events as fundraising campaigns for AO victims in Vietnam. Youths unite to improve the environment Approximately 3,000 young people joined the launch of the Youth Month 2014 in central Thua Thien-Hue province on March 1. After the opening ceremony, youths collected rubbish and removed posters along main streets in Hue City, Highway 1A, and surrounding towns in the province. Local youth unions disseminated information about traffic safety and urban civilization, planted trees, and provided free medicines and medical checks-up for 300 poor households. The Thua Thien-Hue Youth Union presented ten scholarships worth VND1 million each to disadvantaged students and donated two houses worth VND30 million each to a border guard and families of social policy beneficiaries Provincial Youth Union Secretary Nguyen Chi Quang said the union’s various activities have encouraged young people’s to engage in environment protection and climate change adaption. Thailand, Vietnam boost educational cooperation Vietnam and Thailand have concurred to step up educational co-operation as a way to strengthen their strategic partnership. The agreement was reached at a February 28 meeting between visiting Thai Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Vu Luan. The Thai guest applauded the teaching of foreign languages in Vietnam, especially those of neighbouring countries. Deepening mutual understanding and co-operation is crucial as Southeast Asian nations are working hand in hand to become a united ASEAN community by 2015, he said. Chaturon Chaisang called for closer bilateral co-operation in job training and educational reform, making possible for the two nations’ workforce to meet foreign investors' requirements. Minister Vu Luan said he hopes the numbers of Vietnamese students and teachers to study in Thailand and vice versa will increase. He asked the Thai Government to continue its support for teaching Vietnamese in Thailand as well as opening more language study centres in both countries. Vietnam ranks fifth in doing extra studies Vietnamese students rank fifth in doing extra studies and their  patience placed seventh out of 68 nations participating in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) exam.   The information was unveiled by the Ministry of Education and Training on February 27 after analyzing data of PISA exams. PISA Vietnam country director Le Thi My Ha said that Vietnamese students have completed all the exams’ questions while those from Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries ignored many questions if they did not like or felt them too difficult. However, educational qualifications of Vietnamese parents also ranks 67th out of 68 participating nations while their parents openness and flexibility in dealing with student-related issues also came 67th. Deputy PM calls for greater attention to the elderly Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam chaired a conference of the National Committee on Aging in Hanoi on March 1 to review its activities and set orientations for this year. According to a report by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), Vietnam is entering a period of aging population with the rate of old people accounting for 10% of total population (equivalent to over 9 million people). Many policies and laws are adopted to improve the elderly’s quality of life. However, there remain limitations in disseminating information on these laws while healthcare services for the elderly are not much improved due to the shortage of health workers and poor infrastructure. A small proportion of the elderly in rural areas, mountainous and border areas are still living in diffcult circumstances. Under Government Decree 136 which took effect from January 1, 2014, the social subsidy rate increased from VND180,000 to VND270,000. Addressing the conference,  Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam urged the relevant ministries, agencies and localities to well implement policies of caring for the elderly and  focus on a national action plan for the elderly in the 2012-2020 period. RoK’s naval ship visits HCM City The Republic of Korea’s naval ship Choi Young led by captain Choi Sung Mok docked at HCM City on March 1, beginning a four-day trip to Vietnam. During the visit, soldiers and sailors will lay a wreath at the statue of the late President Ho Chi Minh, pay a courtesy visit to leaders from the municipal People’s Committee and visit the Commands of Military Zone 7 and Navy Zone 2, and the SOS Children Village in Go Vap district. They will play a friendly volleyball match with the Naval Technical School and visit some places of interest in HCM City. WB supports Vietnam’s climate change orientations The World Bank (WB) stands committed to assist Vietnam in making and enforcing environment protection policies, minimising the impact of climate change. This announcement was made at a February 28 working session in Washington DC between Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Minh Quang and WB Vice President Rachel Kyte on February 28. At the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral cooperation and WB’s support for Vietnam’s natural resources and environmental protection programmes. They also discussed the prioritisation of specific issues and Vietnam’s ability to engage in the global environmental initiatives coordinated by the WB. Kyte pledged to assist Vietnam in building and implementing legal framework on climate change in Environment Protection Law and create favourable conditions for the country to participate in research addressing the impact of hydroelectric power projects in the Mekong River region. The WB will also help Vietnam join the BioCarbon Fund’s programmes to reduce gas emission from using land and integrate climate change with land usage. Kyte appreciated Vietnam’s orientations in subsidising fossil energy and promoting clean energy such as wind power and solar energy. The WB agreed to support Vietnam’s policy making process aiming to attract investment capital for energy projects and consider the country’s proposal for granting preferential loans for urgent projects on climate change adaption, mangrove forestation and sea dyke building. Hanoi to build one more flyover The Hanoi People’s Committee has approved a project to build a flyover at the Chua Boc-Pham Ngoc Thach intersection, a site prone to traffic jams. Considered an effective measure to reduce traffic congestion at intersections, the flyover will be the eighth in Hanoi. Expected to cost US$7.3 million, the 277 metre flyover will alleviate congestion in both directions. However, the committee has yet decided the date to start construction for the flyover as it depends on the capital disbursement plan. France grants aid to Hanoi metro route The French Development Agency (AFD) has committed a EUR110.5 million aid package, including EUR0.5 million in non-refundable aid, to Hanoi’s metro line project. The route, running from the Hanoi Railways Station to Nhon, has 12.5km in length, with 8.5km overground and 4km underground, and is scheduled to be put into operation by 2018. The route will be extended to 21km by 2020 and 48km by 2030. The project aims to meet the demand of half the number of local people travelling by public transport, minimize urban pollution, and improve the people’s living conditions. It will help ease traffic congestion and reduce green house effects.   The route is designed to serve 230,000 passengers per day by 2018, 428,000 by 2020 and 750,000 by 2030. Other stakeholders of the project are the Reserve for Emerging Economies (RPE) under the French Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the European Investment Bank (EIB). The project has also received EUR1.27 million in non-refundable aid package from the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM). It will be carried out by the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB) and the French Systra Corporation at a total cost of nearly EUR1.2 billion. The French Development Agency is considering an additional EUR 70 million in loans for the project. ASEAN Skill Competition preparation gearing up The 2014 ASEAN Skill Competition steering committee met in HCM City on February 28 examining preparations for the event. The competition, the 10th of its kind, will take place at Hanoi’s National Convention Centre from October 19-29. Competitors will be tested on 23 skills, namely welding, IT software solutions, wall and floor tiling, water pipe, electronics, web design, electrical installations, bricklaying, cabinetmaking, carpentry, fashion technology, automobile technology, restaurant services, cooking, mechatronics, MED-CAD, graphic design, refrigeration, IT network systems administration, beauty therapy, hairdressing, industrial automation, and information network cabling. They will also compete in two performing areas - Mobile Robotics and CNC Turning. At the meeting, delegates discussed preparations for the competition, ranging from reception to documentation, equipment, and logistics. They emphasized the importance of the competition, which they said will give Vietnam the credentials to pursue other high-profile national and international events in the future. They asked relevant ministries and departments to prioritise tasks to best promote Vietnam’s image. Biodiversity workshop warns of damaging invasive species The Biodiversity Conservation Agency (BCA), under the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) has held a training workshop on communication strategies to prevent the progress of invasive species in the country. BCA Deputy Director Huynh Thi Mai said alien species, which are brought into Vietnam through import as well as natural migration, have damaged the natural environment. She cited the flourishing of the crop-destroying yellow snail as an expensive lesson of the importance in controlling imported species and preventing them from spreading. Vietnam has gradually strived to improve its policies and legislation in the area, while raising the awareness of authorities, enterprises and the public on the danger posed by invasive species. At the event, delegations from universities, non-governmental organisations and news agencies heard an international media expert presenting an overview of communication strategies to better spread the message and later participated in a related training course. Vietnam, along with fellow Southeast Asian nations Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines, is taking part in a regional project on the prevention and control of invasive alien species. Final section of Hanoi–Lao Cai highway on trial run The final section of a highway connecting capital Hanoi and the northern border province of Lao Cai was opened for trial run on March 2. Built at a cost of 1.6 trillion VND (76.2 million USD), the new road runs through four communes and one ward of Lao Cai province. The 26km section is also the first part of a route running through the economic corridor of Kunming (China), Lao Cai, Hanoi and Hai Phong city. Therefore, the inauguration is said to be of importance for regional socio-economic development and security. The road was constructed by the Vietnam Construction and Import – Export Join Stock Corporation. The construction of the Noi Bai-Lao Cai highway started in 2009 with a total investment of over 1.2 billion USD. It has a total length of 245 kilometres. The highway is part of a cooperation programme among six countries in the Mekong Sub-region, including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and China.- Anti-corruption fight calls for greater public involvement Greater public involvement will be crucial to overcome existing weaknesses in the anti-corruption fight, Government General Inspector Huynh Phong Tranh has said. While agreeing that there are positive results of efforts to prevent and curb corruption, he said they are far from meeting expectations, citing the complicated situation in the fields of land and mineral management, investment, construction, and finance and banking which is causing concern in society. The chief inspector called on the Vietnam Father Front, mass organizations, mass media and people to play a more active role in supervising public servants to prevent and timely detect corruptive acts. He also urged relevant agencies to enhance their coordination and information exchange in the fight. The inspection sector discovered 45 corruption cases involving 99 suspects last year, reclaiming more than 299 billion VND (14.2 million USD). Of these, 26 cases and 39 suspects were transferred to investigation agencies, and several serious cases were subsequently put on trial. At the same time, the sector paid more attention to preventive measures through enhancing the transparency and effectiveness of inspections as well as administrative reforms. The measures’ result can be seen in the Provincial Governance and Public Administration Performance Index (PAPI) announced last year by the United Nations Development Programme. The index, which was based on a survey of 14,000 people across the country, showed a remarkable improvement of 2.54 percent in the rating of transparency and a 2.29 percent increase in terms of public service quality. Dong Nai works to support locals on Long Thanh Airport site The southern province of Dong Nai on February 28 held a working session with local agencies and authorities of Long Thanh district on the relocation of residents to serve the building of the Long Thanh International Airport. According to the province’s calculations, 170,000 locals in six communes of Long An, Binh Son, Cam Duong, Suoi Trau, Bau Can and Long Phuoc will have to move to make space for the airport, which covers 5,000 hectares. Up to 86 percent of the total, or 155,000 people, are of working age, posing a crucial need for reemployment. Currently, the province has approved two resettlement projects covering over 280 hectares at a cost of 4.1 trillion VND in Loc An and Binh Son communes, which are designed to host about 54,000 people. Dong Nai proposed that local workers should be given priority in construction jobs at the airport, as farmland in Long Thanh district has been significantly reduced. Tran Minh Phuc, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai provincial People’s Committee said the province pays much attention to the resettlement and reemployment of locals living on the project site. The committee has assigned the Departments of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Health, Education and Training and the Dong Nai Rubber Corporation to survey the locals’ need for jobs, schools and healthcare centres, thus design proper solutions, said Phuc. He added that the province will gather opinions on compensation methods for the displaced locals, while making plans to provide vocational training for the residents, who are mostly farmers. Construction of the Long Thanh International Airport is scheduled to start in early 2016. Facility helps ensure water for Dong Van residents A facility that can supply clean water for 10,000 people in Dong Van town of the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang was handed over to local authorities on February 28. The project, which was built in early 2013 with a capacity of 850 cubic metres per day, providing on a daily basis an average of 80 litres of water per person, was seen as the first step to help improve living conditions for local people in the Dong Van Karst Plateau – one of the most disadvantaged localities in Vietnam where water for daily activities is hard to find. According to Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Thai Lai, the ministry’s water resource research and planning centre has conducted a survey in the plateau, which resulted in 23 drill holes capable of providing a combined of 9,000 cu m per day, meeting the need of 100,000 people. The ministry will continue building similar facilities in other districts in the plateau such as Meo Vac, Quan Ba and Yen Minh to ensure water supply for residents, especially during the dry season. Dong Van Stone Plateau, a member of the Global Network of National Geo-parks since 2010, is 80 percent limestone and contains the fossils of thousands of species of prehistoric creatures from 400-600 million years ago. It is home to 250,000 people from 17 different ethnic groups.- Da Nang city tackles drowning in children The Da Nang People’s Committee has proposed guidelines that will see its elementary students learn to swim by their graduation by 2016. The central city has to triple the number of swimming pools and coaches, while continuing to use 11 pools in the city’s seven districts. It will consider supporting swimming teachers’ salaries, particularly in summer months. Furthermore, local authorities will prioritise resources to support the districts that do not have the ability to attract external funds. In the framework of the programme, entitled “Pool Safety”, the city has seen nearly 27,000 primary students learn to swim, increasing the rate of those who can swim from 49 percent to 72 percent. The programme has also provided training for 120 teachers and lifeguards, with 10 local instructors now senior coaches. The students, aged between six and 10, will be able to swim 25 metres continuously and answer questions on water safety.- Source: VNA/VNS/VOV