Social News 11/11 70 percent of cancer patients in country detected late  Vietnam has an average of 15,000 new cancer patients every year, while 70 percent of cases are detected late, so they at last have died of cancer, said medical workers. Moreover, the fatal disease is on upward trend and more and more young people get it. Especially most popular cause of the disease is outside environment and patients’ wrong lifestyles. The K Hospital (the national cancer institute) in Hanoi, has always crowded with patients so that no chair in the treatment ward has left. Outside, there are so many people who have to sit and stand with anxiety to wait for their relatives every day. Medical workers said the overcrowding has seen for many years despite two additional treatment satellites had been operated. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan, deputy director of the Hanoi-based K Hospital and head of the Research Institute for Cancer Prevention and Control, said that the country currently has around 250,000 people living with cancer, according to a latest survey of the institute. Moreover, the country has 150,000 new breast cancer cases per year and half of them have succumbed to the disease. Compared to ten years ago, the rate of infected people increased drastically. Currently, the rate of men with the cancer has 181.3 out of 100,000. By 2000 the figure sharply increased to 141.6/100,000 men. Not only Vietnam but also nations in the world have seen the upward trend in the number of cancer people. 15 of the most common cancers in Vietnam are lung, breast, large intestine, stomach, liver, prostate, uterus, cervix, esophagus, bladder, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, oral cavity, leukemia, pancreas, ovary and kidney. The most common cancers in men are lung, colorectal, stomach, prostrate, while in women are uterus and cervix. Medical system on cancer currently just meets 30 percent of treatment demand. Worrisome, hospitals for treating cancer disease in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have received more and more young Vietnamese people aged twenty and some of children. For several reasons, including low public awareness of prevention of the deadly disease, as many as 70 percent of breast cancer cases in Vietnam are detected late, leading to low efficacy in treatment. Meanwhile, in developed countries, 80 percent of breast cancer patients are saved thanks to early detection and timely treatment. Breast cancer is ranked the second among the most deadly diseases, with 7 million new breast cancer cases and some 52,000 deaths are recorded every year. Though cancer is not infectious disease, it has high proportion of deaths in the country. Sadly, Dr. Thuan said that one of the difficulties in breast cancer treatment is that women, and the general population, are not well informed of the disease. Accordingly they just come to see doctor when they are at final stage of the disease. People should have periodic diagnosis, exercise regularly and medical check-up as well as practice healthy lifestyle without smoking, wine to prevent cancer. Noi Bai Airport director apologises for substandard service The director of Noi Bai International Airport has apologised for substandard services and pledged to improve the situation in the near future. Vu The Phiet, made the apology at a meeting about aviation service quality. The meeting, held on November 6, focused on safety and reducing flight delays and cancellations. Phiet admitted certain shortcomings at the airport after it was listed among top-ten worst airports in Asia in 2014 by the website Sleepinginairports. “I’d like to make an apology to passengers coming through Noi Bai International Airport for any bad experiences due to our modest infrastructure or service quality,” he said. He added that Noi Bai airport is facing the most serious problems with overcrowding among total 22 airports in Vietnam, and is struggling to serve twice its designed capacity. The construction of the terminal T2 has also added to the overcrowding problem, which is causing temporary inconveniences for passengers, he noted, adding that there have been measures taken by management to improve the quality of service. “Over the past six months, the airport has dismissed about ten staff employees and demoted nearly 40 others. We’ve conducted a survey since the beginning of the second quarter, which have identified our shortcomings. The first priority is cleaning services, the second is adding pushcarts and the third is the loudspeaker system that annoys many travelers," he said. He went on to say that the biggest obstacle is not upgrading infrastructure, but changing the mindset of staff, particularly with the the attitudes of bureaucratic officials and customs officers. According to him, the cleanliness issue also has to do with staff problems. In addition, he announced that the airport's long-term plan is to start a bidding process for contractors to take over these tasks. Vietnam Inter Cycle 2014 to take place in December The Vietnam Inter Cycle 2014 will be held at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh Cit’s District 7 on December 3-6. The 4th event will showcase bikes, electric bikes, bike components, bicycles for kids from famous brands such as Giant, Thong Nhat and Vietbike, as well as Merida and Shuaigete. Accessories, such as lights and electrocardiogram machines, as well as helmets, gloves and specialized boxes will be on display. The Vietnam Inter Cycle 2014 is part of the Vietnam Expo 2014 which will also be organized at the same time of SECC. The international trade fair is expected to draw many enterprises to introduce their products and services, seek business opportunities in Vietnam in upcoming years. On display are machinery, electronic products, household appliances, components, interior and exterior décor. Water plant project initiated to save polluted river A project to grow water plants on To Lich River, one of the most polluted rivers in Hanoi, has been started with the hope it could save the ailing ecosystem. To Lich River is considered by ecologists to be 'dead' because it has been severely polluted by the dumping of thousands of cubic metres of sewage water each day. Recently, however, dozens of rafts covered with water plants were placed on the river. The rafts are made with pontoons and wood planks, which function to grow the plants. The rafts are anchored with ropes to stop them from floating away during storms or floods. The roots of the plants on these floating gardens are expected to grow into the river, starting a process which would purify the water. Not only do the plant rafts clean up the river, they also improve the scenery of the city. The locals said they were happy and optimistic about the project. Bui Thi Trang, a student in Hanoi said, "If this river becomes more clean, this area may have more pedestrians. And maybe the street will smell of flowers instead of the current stench." Similar projects have been carried out in a number of other polluted rivers and lakes in Hanoi, such as Ngoc Khanh, Van Chuong and Giang Vo, with good results. Traditional media can survive digital era Print media could stay relevant despite strong competition from electronic media options like online newspapers and social networks, German journalists said yesterday at a meeting with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Each country has a particular media environment, and in Viet Nam traditional news outlets face many obstacles, given the development of electronic media, Pham Quang Minh, the university's vice rector said during a dialogue yesterday. Participants from the university and the German Konrad Adenauer Stiftung foundation discussed the status of media in Viet Nam and Germany, the challenges for traditional media and the code of conducts for reporters and journalists. The event came as Germany and Viet Nam celebrated their 40th year of relations. Georg Fahrion, a reporter at Capital Magazine in Berlin, said lower costs and expenses, better accessibility and up-to-the-minute information boosted electronic media's ability to draw in readers. However, it's hard to verify the information provided by electronic media, and a lack of verifiable news could hurt society, he said. The first two things that print and electronic media must guarantee are the accuracy of information and journalistic conduct. Capital to install traffic cameras Vice chairman of the capital city People's Committee Nguyen Quoc Hung ordered Ha Noi's Transport Department to install traffic cameras along Ring Road 3 at a meeting on Tuesday. The elevated road links Cau Giay District and Hoang Mai District, in addition to connecting Ha Noi with nearby provinces via national highways 1A, 5 and 18 and Thang Long-Noi Bai Expressway. At the meeting, Hung also asked the department to install cameras at train stations, bus stations and major hospitals to stop taxi drivers from breaking traffic rules. Taxi companies might have their business licences revoked if many drivers violated traffic rules, he said. Deputy head of the city's Traffic Police Office Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Tong said that the police had dealt with about 11,000 traffic violations by taxi drivers this year. Most took place at hospital entrances and bus stations and consisted mainly of parking in the wrong place or driving in the wrong lane. Vice chairman Hung required that the transport department finish expanding My Dinh Bus Station by December 15 in order to meet increasing demand. The city now has nearly 17,200 taxis and about 4,000 coaches transporting passengers from Ha Noi to other localities and vice versa. Public awareness of malnutrition still low Malnutrition is widespread in both developed and emerging nations, with up to 78 per cent of hospital inpatients in Viet Nam suffering from poor nutrition or malnutrition, the former head of Cho Ray hospital's nutrition department has said. Speaking at a meeting with local and foreign experts held in HCM City on Wednesday, Dr. Nguyen Huu Toan said that malnutrition could affect anyone at anytime. "When talking about malnutrition, people think it just happens to children. For some, it comes from not eating enough or not eating the right nutrients," he said, adding that it could also be caused by digestive problems. Undernourished patients take longer to recover from illness, injury and surgery, increasing costs of care and leading to higher mortality rates, he added. Organised by Abbot and health experts, the meeting was held to brief local media on malnutrition issues in the country. It aimed to provide right understanding on the issue and decrease the prevalence of malnutrition through calling-to-action for clinicians around the world, including Viet Nam, to screen, intervene and supervene with in-hospital nutrition tracking and post-discharge nutrition planning. One recent study of nutritional practices found that 60 percent of hospitalised patients were not screened for malnutrition or risk. "Some patients who enter the hospital are malnourished. Some will get malnourished during their stay. It affects their recovery because they don't have enough energy, protein or micro-nutrients to fight against illness and injury," Toan said. "Most healthcare providers concentrate on treatment and tend to ignore a nutrition regimen to improve health," he added. Dr Li Fei of Abbott Nutrition Research and Development said malnutrition could happen to anyone, especially those who have an underlying health issue and inadequate dietary intake. The risk is higher if they are over the age of 50, or are overweight or obese. Nutrition management, particularly oral nutrition supplements, has been shown to be a cost-effective way to improve status and clinical outcomes. Potential nutrition intervention strategies include dietary counseling, modification of diet and food fortification, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition. Dr. Ravinder Reddy, a surgeon at India's Care Hospital, said up to 50 percent of hospitalised patients worldwide were malnourished. Giving oral nutrition supplements upon hospital admission helps lessen the adverse effects of malnutrition and enhances patient response to treatment and recovery. At the meeting, he introduced the FeedM.E. Global Study Group, which works with healthcare systems and communities to help bring about global change on a local level. 1,000 cows donated to the needy in Lam Dong VinGroup, one of the leading firms in Vietnam, has donated 1,000 breeding cows worth 15 billion VND (700,000 USD) in total to poor people in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. The provincial People’s Committee and the Central Highlands Steering Committee on November 8 received the cows as part of VinGroup’s corporate community programme to donate 5,000 breeding cows to poor ethnic households in the five regional provinces. At first, 158 cows were handed over to poor households in Da Lat city, and Don Duong, Lac Duong and Bao Loc districts. Lam Dong is the fourth locality in the Central Highlands to receive Vingroup’s cows, after Kon Tum, Dak Nong and Dak Lac. Hanoi: 10,000 people to be screened for visual impairment The Hanoi Department of Health in coordination with Helen Keller International (HKI) will provide eye check-ups for some 10,000 people aged 45 or more in the capital city’s Quoc Oai district from now to September 2015. The department said the activity is part of a HKI project entitled “Establishing vision entrepreneurs through community based eye care system in rural communities of Hanoi ”. The project, funded by Grand Challenges Canada, is the first of its kind to be piloted in Vietnam . In this project, HKI will train collaborators in doing basic visual acuity screening and conduct communication activities to raise public awareness of the issue. It is also expected to give financial support to some 4,000 people to buy qualified eyeglasses. Presbyopia is a significant cause of avoidable visual impairment for those of old age. Statistics show that about one billion people in the world suffer from vision impairment due to uncorrected presbyopia and 98 percent of them live in less developed countries. Up to 74 percent of presbyopia sufferers in Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam , are yet to wear suitable spectacles. HKI is an international non-governmental organisation with the mission of saving the sight and lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged by combating the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition.- Busy programme of events for HIV/AIDS month The national action month for HIV/AIDS prevention and control runs from November 10 to December 10 with a focus on non-discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients. A number of activities will be organised to increase the public’s awareness of the fight against HIV/AIDS, especially amongst vulnerable residents in remote and disadvantaged areas. In addition to seminars, meetings and parades in wards and communes all over the country, art performances and exhibitions will also be held to raise funds for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS. The Vietnamese government has implemented a number of measures and programmes on HIV/AIDS prevention and control, which have shown initial successes. In the past five years, Vietnam has seen a decline in new HIV infections from 30,000 in 2007 to 12,000 in 2013, while the total number of AIDS patients and fatalities has been halved. Vietnam is undertaking maximum efforts to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Regional leaders mull ways to ensure religious security The Steering Committees for Northwestern, Central Highlands and Southwestern regions discussed ways to fight hostile forces abusing religion to cause social disputes and drive a wedge between the people and the Party and State. In a meeting held in the northwestern province of Yen Bai on Saturday, the committees also focused on ways to ensure religious security in the three regions. Together, they studied communication practices that have been effective against illegal religious activities and discussed measures to build a strong grassroots-level political system, settle issues related to uncontrolled migration, and foster national solidarity. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who heads the Steering Committee for Northwestern Region, said that ethnic minority and religious affairs were issues of great significance for every nation in maintaining national solidarity, peace and stability. He said that in the past year, the three steering committees had fulfilled all tasks entrusted to them by the Party Central Committee, contributing to national socio-economic development, ensuring defence and security, and building a grassroots-level political system. Truong Xuan Cu, deputy head of the Steering Committee for Northwestern Region, said that since their previous meeting in September 2013, the committees had proposed solutions for several problems to the Party Central Committee's Politburo and Secretariat, the Prime Minister and localities. They had also exerted every effort to speed up implementation of resolutions and decisions on socio-economic development, security, defence, ethnic minority and religious affairs and building up a grassroots political system, he said. Number of foreigners changing driving licenses in HCMC rises sharply The number of foreigners who visited local authorities in Ho Chi Minh City to change their driver’s licenses so far this year has risen to about 5,000, while the number for the whole year of 2013 was just over 2,500, according to the head of a local state agency responsible for the job. As driving licenses granted by foreign countries are not accepted in Vietnam, foreigners wishing to drive here have to contact appropriate Vietnamese authorities to change their licenses. Meanwhile, about 800 foreigners have applied for the test to obtain the driving licenses in Vietnam, also doubling the 2013’s figure, said Vo Trong Nghia, head of driving testing and licensing unit under the HCMC Department of Transport. Almost all of those who are changing their driver’s licenses or are preparing to take the test are from Asian countries. They are now living in HCMC, and want to drive by themselves, Nghia said. The department has dispatched a specialized unit at 252 Ly Chinh Thang Street, District 3 to streamline administrative procedures for those foreigners so that they can obtain their licenses as quickly as possible, he added. Central city studies tramway feasibility The central city of Da Nang has assigned the municipal Transport Department to collaborate with Peterson International Inc (PI) and Emerging Asean Capital Partners (EACP) on carrying out a feasibility study for a tramway project. Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Da Nang People's Committee told representatives of the two companies on Thursday that the city plans to build three tramway routes – from Nam O Village to the Da Phuoc Urban Area; the Furama Resort and Hoi An City; and along the Han River from the Rong (Dragon) Bridge to the Thuan Phuoc Bridge. The routes will be built under the BOT (Building-Operation-Transfer) investment form as per the 2020 Master Plan, he said. Children learn about pedestrian safety The National Traffic Safety Committee in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Training will offer pedestrian-safety training and equipment to more than 20,000 students at 18 primary schools in HCM City's District 9. Under the road-safety advocacy programme Walk This Way, students from 12 secondary schools in the city will participate in capturing images of safe or dangerous road-user behaviors and environments from now through January. Several schools in District 9 will undergo structural changes to improve the pedestrian environment for students. Since 2010, the Walk This Way programme, supported by FedEx and Safe Kids-AIP Foundation, has reached more than 55,000 students at 70 primary and secondary schools across the country. Environmental cleanup successful The highly positive outcomes of an eight-year environmental sanitation project in coastal cities were outlined at a conference in Nha Trang City in the central province of Khanh Hoa, yesterday. The project, backed by a US$249 million loan from the World Bank, led to the upgrading of canals and lakes, a cleaner coastline and tidier streets, fewer floods and reduced water pollution. According to Le Duy Hung, the World Bank representative in Viet Nam, steady achievements have been made since it was launched in December 2006. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said there was a need to continue the programme. Officials from cities in the central region, including Nha Trang, Dong Hoi City (Quang Binh Province) and Quy Nhon (Binh Dinh Province), proposed extra funding of $119 million from the bank to improve sewage systems, wastewater processing facilities and landfills. Environmental measures implemented include the control of flooding, collection of wastewater, managing solid waste, the construction of wastewater treatment plants. building water and sanitation facilities at schools, and providing technical assistance during project implementation. Dong Nai firms clean up their act Authorities in the southern province of Dong Nai say that 130 production and trade establishments have comprehensively dealt with the environmental pollution they were causing. The 130 firms are among 157 that were marked by inspectors as causing serious environmental pollution. The inspectors' finding prompted the local administration to order the culprits to build waste treatment facilities, minimise use of outdated production equipment and replace old machinery with modern, environmental-friendly ones. Meanwhile, the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment has said it is guiding other firms in Dong Nai to speed up application of environmentally-friendly measures. 78% of Vietnam children under 6 use digital device A recent social survey by an ethnology and anthropology research association in Ho Chi Minh City reveals an alarming fact: up to 78% of kids under six years old use digital device. The survey, themed “The use of digital device among Vietnamese children and parents’ awareness,” was launched last month by the Research Center of Culture, Education and Social Life under the HCMC Ethnology and Anthropology Association. Conducted in four major cities of Hanoi, Da Nang, HCMC and Can Tho, the survey gathered replies from 1,051 respondents, who are parents of 1,802 kids from three to 12 years old. According to the survey’s newly released findings, 19% of under-3-year-old kids have access to digital device. Up to 59% of children from three to five play with digital device, while the percentages among children aged six to nine and aged 10 to 12 are 20% and 2% respectively. The survey also pointed out that kids use their modern device for an average of 30-60 minutes a day. Parents tend to allow their kids to use the device for longer time during weekends and holidays compared to weekdays. Compared to the 1% who use their hi-end device for three to four hours a day on weekdays, 7% of kids aged three to under six and 9% of those aged six to 12 play with the device for the same duration on weekends and holidays. Many parents admitted that smartphones and tablets can serve as babysitters, considering the limited amount of time they can spend mingling with their kids. The survey also pointed to the different uses of the device among children of different age groups. Some 97 to 100% of kids from three to five play normal games, listen to kids’ songs and watch cartoons on their digital device. Meanwhile, around 61-83% of kids in the six to 12 age bracket use the device for lessons in foreign languages, maths and brain games. In comparison, according to the survey, the programs kids in both the three to five and six to 12 groups download themselves are mostly games and entertainment content. Contents for learning purposes are least downloaded by kids in both the groups, while their parents download and install the educative content and book reading the most. Many respondents in the survey highlight the numerous benefits their children may gain from the early use of smart devices, including early access to information, assistance in their growth of linguistic ability, and a boost to their creativity. Though the questioned parents find that kids’ early use of smart device does more good than harm, 75% are concerned about the device’s addictability, 85% about shortsightedness and other eye diseases, and 73% about the kids’ tendency to lesser bodily movement. 594 of the respondents are absolute proponents of kids’ early use of smart tools; 995 are strongly supportive of the use but urge for effective kid orientation and management, while 583 are opponents. The survey also studied parents’ awareness and knowledge of their kids’ use of smart tools and how long the kids should use the device. The survey conducting group observed that the majority of the participating parents aren’t really well informed about how long they should allow their kids to play with the device. This lack of knowledge resulted in their bewilderment and landed them in the dilemma of whether to allow their kids to access the device or not. While most parents expect their children to use the educative content on the device, their kids mostly use them for games, films and songs rather than lessons or book reading. The survey also noted that many parents either don’t hear about or apply effective approaches in managing their kids’ use of the device. Most of them now manage their kids’ use merely by intuition or habit. Phan Thi Thanh, a parent living in HCMC’s District 9, shared that though she is well aware of the harm done to kids if they abuse digital device, there’re times when she resorts to giving her kids the tools to stop them from sobbing, having tantrums or following her everywhere. Though allowing kids access to digital device is an indispensable part of modern life, local experts have raised their major concerns about the possible harm kids’ abuse of the tools may bring. “Through my experience working with young children, I realized that kids’ use of the device without parents’ proper guidance or monitor has resulted in their poor concentration power, inventiveness and even difficulty in articulating a certain matter. In  my small-scale surveys, a number of parents and their kids give diametrically different answers regarding the same issues,” Nguyen Thuy Uyen Phuong, training director of Tomato Extracurricular School, shared her opinion with Tuoi Tre (Youth) Newspaper. Meanwhile, Dr. Pham Minh Triet, head of HCMC Pediatrics Hospital 1’s Psychology Department, said that his department has yet to receive child patients who need attention for their addiction to digital device. However, they have offered treatment to many kids for their retarded speech ability, among whom many, particularly those under three years old, are associated with watching television and using digital device for long hours each day. Triet noted that the kids have seen notable progress regarding their language skills when their parents were asked to cut down on their kids’ time of watching TV and using smart tools. According to the American Pediatric Society, kids under two years old should have no contact with television or other digital screens at all, while kids aged two to six and six to 12 are advised to watch TV or use digital device for one hour and two hours respectively a day. Abuse of television and digital device may result in children’s incomprehensive growth, inertness, obesity, lack of communicative and life skills, Triet added. Similarly, Dr. Tran Thi Phuong Thu, director of Phuong Nam Eye Hospital, raised her concerns about the alarming rise in shortsightedness among school students in the past 10 years. Though reasons may be diverse, 9.5 out of 10 patients in this age group which Dr. Thu has examined have their ailment linked to abused TV watching and use of computers and in recent years, of digital tools. Dr. Ngo Xuan Diep, dean of the HCMC University of Social Sciences and the Humanities’ Psychology, who was on the survey’s consulting council, noted that the younger children are, the more they should engage in simple, direct and non-digital daily activities. He urged that children under six stay away from all digital device. Elementary students should use digital device for two hours on weekends only, while junior high school students can use the device for longer hours but need close parental monitoring regarding content and duration of use. Tra Vinh residents team up to protect forests The first biological environment protection team in the Mekong Delta region has been set up in Tra Vinh Province to mobilise participation of residents in planting and protecting mangrove forests and in preventing unsustainable exploitation of aquatic products. The team includes 100 local households living along Con Chim River in the province's Chau Thanh District who earn a living by fishing with outdated equipment, threatening the resources of fisheries. Oxfam, a non-governmental organisation, has funded the initiative with more than VND600 million ($28,600). Poor households in the team have received financial support worth VND10-15 million ($470-710) each to help them change vocations and earn a stable income. Quang Ninh retains row boat tours in Ha Long Bay Though Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam has relocated a number of households, the provincial authorities still allow them to offer row boat trips in UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay to make a living and diversify tourism services, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism said Wednesday on its website. The province recently finished relocating more than 300 households living in the core areas of Ha Long Bay to a residential area in the provincial capital of Ha Long City. However, the locals are still permitted to maintain row boat tours in the bay to both earn a living and preserve the coastal city’s rich culture. The service, which offers tourists rides across the resplendent bay, was launched in 2008 by the Ha Long Tourism and Transport Service Cooperative, according to Tang Van Phien, the cooperative’s head. Most boat rowers are from Vung Vieng fishing village, the second-largest fishing village out of the seven in the area. The service has drawn a large number of tourists, including foreigners, who come to relish the picturesque landscape and the villagers’ traditions and culture, Phien added. Nguyen Thi Bich, a boat rower and Vung Vieng native, said that she rows from 7:00 am to 10:00 am and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. She earns around VND3 million (US$ 141) a month from the job. A Mexican couple found the fishing villages an intriguing highlight of the World Heritage Site. Ha Long Bay was first listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 because of its outstanding, universal aesthetic value. In 2000 the World Heritage Committee additionally recognised the bay for its outstanding geological and geomorphological value, and its World Heritage Listing was updated, according to Wikipedia. Locals’ awareness of environmental protection has been raised considerably. Many volunteer to collect garbage dumped in the bay on a daily basis. Last month, Cua Van fishing village, another major village located in the dramatic Ha Long Bay, was ranked ninth out of the 16 best coastal towns in the world by U.S. travel magazine Travel + Leisure. According to the magazine, some 700 people (traditionally fishermen) live in anchored houseboats, making Cua Van a popular tourist attraction, as visitors like to see this unusual way of life. Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND