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Social News 25/11
Countries
that border the
Tacconi
made the statement yesterday in Ha Noi at a seminar on payments for
environmental services. Enterprises benefiting from unharmed forests fund the
programme in
The
programme creates incentives for individuals and communities to protect
environmental services by compensating them for any costs incurred in
managing and providing those services.
In 2004,
the Government of Viet Nam, drawing on an internationally recognised system,
laid the foundations for a nationwide programme set out in the revised Forest
Protection and Development Law.
In 2008,
a Government decision created support for pilot projects in Lam Dong and Son
La provinces, and in 2011, the programme was implemented across the country.
Thirty-six
of the country's 63 provinces have established steering committees to oversee
the programme's implementation.
The
programme collects up to US$55 million annually.
Three
years after it was set up, it had collected a total of US$150 million for
protecting and developing forest areas - and helping residents involved
protect the environment.
Nguyen
Dac Lam, director of Nghe An Province's Forest Protection and Development
Fund, said investors and business owners should be responsible for paying for
environmental services.
"It's
reasonable to pay to protect nature when you benefit from it," Lam said.
7
fishermen saved near Hoang Sa
Seven
fishermen whose boat broke down near
The men,
from the central
Huge
waves and strong winds threatened to sink the boat.
They
were rescued by a ship from the Viet Nam People's Navy.
Boat
crews arrested for illegal sand mining
Police
in the
The
owners of the boats admitted the crime, saying they had been doing it for a
long time.
Police
seized the ships and sand-mining tools.
So far
this year, police have detained 21 illegal sand-mining boats. However, their
owners were fined a total of only VND200 million ($9,400).
Fire
destroys Tien Giang firm's property
A fire
broke out this morning in a company that manufactures wrapping material in
the Mekong Delta
The
blaze destroyed the company's equipment, machines and materials, causing an
estimated loss of about VND1 billion (US$47,600). However, no deaths were
reported.
More
than 50 firefighters and six fire trucks were sent to the scene and the fire
was extinguished after one hour.
The
blaze was believed to have been caused by sparks.
Saigon
Co.op, which owns the Co.opMart supermarket chain, has awarded scholarships
worth nearly VND500 million (US$23,400) to 97 poor university students across
the country.
In the
last six years more than 500 poor students in 38 cities and provinces have
benefited from the scholarship programme.
Besides
the scholarship the retailer also offers students part-time work at its
outlets and training to enable them to become future managers of the chain.
Hand-foot-mouth
disease hits Khanh Hoa province
Since
the beginning of November, hand-foot-mouth disease has struck 7out of 8
communes in Khanh Son district in central coastal Khanh Hoa province,
resulting in a sharp increase in infection cases.
Nine
hand-foot-mouth outbreaks were reported in Khanh Son district, affecting 176
children – double the figure detected in the same period last year.
It’s
worth noting that quarantine measures have not been taken immediately to stop
the spread of the disease.
Ngo Thi
Truc Linh, headmaster of a kindergarten in Khanh Son district, stressed the
need to raise public awareness of the contagious disease and provide timely
treatment to the infected children.
Parents
should send their children to nearby hospital for medical check up if their
children show symptoms of hand-foot-mouth disease, such as fever, sore
throat, and skin rash, she suggested.
Le Huu
Tho, an official from the Khanh Son district health centre responsible for
preventive medicine said local health workers are cooperating with schools to
further disseminate relevant information and implement sterilization
measures, especially in high-risk areas.
Overseas
students join efforts to protect marine sovereignty
Vietnamese
students in
The
event drew the participation of former Vice President Truong My Hoa,
Chairwoman of the “For the beloved Hoang Sa – Truong Sa” club, and Vietnamese
students at the University of Queensland, the Queensland University of
Technology, the Griffith University, and the James Cook University.
Ngo Chi
Nguyen, a postgraduate pursuing the political science doctoral degree at the
A number
of attendees said young Vietnamese people, including those studying abroad,
need to actively learn about the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), documents relating to Vietnam’s sovereignty and its
exercise of sovereignty in the islands, and the country’s policies regarding
the East Sea issue in order to disseminate precise information to their
international friends and support the protection of the national sovereignty.
At the
event, Truong My Hoa spoke highly of overseas students’ patriotism and
suggested similar events be held to raise their awareness of safeguarding the
national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
She also
briefed participants about the country’s sovereignty protection and the
outcomes of the fund-raising campaign “For beloved Truong Sa students”, which
built two primary schools in Truong Sa town and Sinh Ton commune in Truong Sa
island district, central Khanh Hoa province.
Concluding
the talk, Vietnamese students issued a joint statement voicing their deep
concern over recent moves that escalated
Running
event calls for no violence against women
The
Vietnam Farmers’ Union and the United Nations Population Fund co-organised a
running event in Hanoi on November 23 in response to the International Day
for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls (November 25).
Domestic
violence is a pressing issue in many countries, including
He noted
that the main cause of violence against women is poor awareness about gender
equality and a lack of mutual respect.
Over the
past few years,
The VFF
President urged the Ministries of Justice and Culture-Sports-Tourism as well
as relevant agencies and organisations, including the Vietnam Farmers’
According
to UN research, economic losses caused by domestic violence accounted for 1.5
percent of
In 1999,
the UN designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of
Violence against Women, inviting governments, international and
non-governmental organisations to launch awareness-raising campaigns on the
issue.
New
era dawns for plastic surgery in Vietnam
SBC
Medical Group on November 23 opened a modern centre providing the finest in
care and support for patients before, during and after plastic surgery
procedures in District 3,
The
newly constructed innovative SBC Cosmetic Surgery Clinic offers a full range
of treatments and services utilizing the latest Japanese technologies,
announced Aikawa Yoshiyuki, the director of the centre at its opening.
The
unique centre boasts a comprehensive offering of self enhancement services
and accommodations in co-ordination with
Deputy
Consul General of
The
Japan Business Association in
Nordic
Assistance to
The
Nordic Assistance to Vietnam (NAV) has contributed effectively to improving
public health and gender equality as well as helped vulnerable Vietnamese
respond to climate change during its 20-year operation in the country, heard
a ceremony in central Thua Thien-Hue province on November 23.
Addressing
the event marking NAV’s 20 th anniversary, NAV Chief Representative Eivind
Archer said the non-governmental organisation is part of the Norwegian Church
Aid (NCA), which operates in the fields of poverty reduction, gender equality
improvement, HIV/AIDS prevention and climate change response in 29 nations
around the world.
NAV
funds about US$1.2 million for
It has
effectively carried out a programme on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment at
17 prisons in 12 provinces and worked with the Vietnam Fatherland Front
Central Committee to help promote the involvement of religions and religious
organisations in the fight.
The
organisation has also coordinated with social and religious organisations in
climate change adaptation and social affairs.
It has
developed an initiative to teach children in the central coastal region to
swim as an effort to reduce disaster risks. In 2013, the project was
implemented in 30 schools in Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Tri provinces,
providing necessary skills for 119 gymnastics teachers and 1,696 primary
school students.
NAV vows
to continue its support for and contributions to
An
HIV-Addiction Technology Transfer Centre on the campus of the HCM City
University of Medicine and Pharmacy will offer workforce training and
technical assistance in treating substance abuse.
The
centre will offer mental health services related to drug use and
harm-reduction knowledge and skills, in addition to HIV-prevention
activities.
The
centre is funded by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration via the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief initiative
(PEPFAR) and a co-operative agreement with the
The
centre aims to contribute to the policy of the government and Ministry of
Health to offer methadone treatment for opioid users, Do Van Dung, vice
rector of the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, said.
"With
methadone treatment we can reduce the risk of HIV transmission and decrease
social evils," Dung said.
In the
future, VH-ATTC will work with international and domestic researchers on the
development of effective treatments.
A
similar centre also was set up in Ha Noi Medical University in 2011.
According
to the Ministry of Health, more people in big cities are using
amphetamine-type stimulants, such as crystal methamphetamine, ecstasy (MDMA)
and ketamine, all of which have long-term harmful effects on people's health.
As of
June, the country had 219,163 people with HIV and 67,557 with AIDS.
Despite
a significant increase of HIV infection through sex, unsafe injections of
drugs remain remains the driver of the HIV epidemic.
Almost
40 per cent of people living with HIV inject drugs. Many others who have HIV
are partners of these users.
From
mid-1990, the country has carried out intervention models, including
community-based and institution-based detoxification, distribution and
exchange of clean syringes, and methadone treatment for opoid dependence.
In 2008,
two pilot sites in Hai Phong and
The
Ministry of Health aims to treat by 2015 more than 80,000 heroin addicts with
methadone at over 200 health clinics nationwide.
The
Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs is opening community-based
centres for voluntary treatment.
One
challenge is to ensure a high quality of workers who can meet the technical
requirements of the job, and who have essential expertise in their field and
study in continuing education.
In the
past, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with PEPFAR, Global Fund and
the World Bank, through organizations such as FHI360 and SCMS, organized
methadone maintenance treatment training courses that helped meet programme
needs.
However,
this needs to be strengthened because of the number of addicts who need
methadone, Dung said.
There
should be a wider involvement of psychiatric hospitals and academic
institutions such as the HIV-Addiction Technology Transfer Centres, he added.
High
lipid levels raise alarm
About 44
per cent of Ha Noi and
The
number is concerning, as research shows a direct connection between
hyperlipidaemia and lethal illness, according to Viet Nam National Heart
Association president Pham Gia Khai.
"Up
to 90 per cent of heart attacks are caused by cholesterol plaques while about
93 per cent of stroke sufferers have hyperlipidaemia," he said.
Doctor
Bui The Hoa from HCM City-based
"The
elevation of the fat or cholesterol level in the blood grows silently. But it
can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes and diabetes,"
Hoa said.
Nearly
six million people in
Viet Nam
National Heart Association President Pham Gia Khai said the best way to treat
the condition was to change unhealthy life habits.
"Patients
should avoid fatty food, alcohol and cigarettes and exercise more. Medicine
should always be a last resort," Khai said.
Remote
areas to get family planning tips
The Viet
Nam Family Planning Association (VINAFPA) plans to expand its services over
the next five years to poor and remote areas, especially those inhabited by
ethnic minority communities.
In a
report released yesterday, the association said it has provided advice on
reproductive health and family planning to nearly five million people over
the last five years.
It has
also delivered more than 3.5 million pamphlets and other information
documents to residents, including adolescents and workers in industrial
zones.
The
model of providing pre-marriage consultancy and health-examinations was
introduced in the northern port city of
More
than 10 reproductive health clinics were set up across the country.
Nguyen
Ba Thuy, chairman of the association, said that the shortage of funds was a
big challenge for several provinces and cities.
Without
adequate funding, the localities would not be able to buy more medical
equipment that they need to continue providing services, he said.
Another
shortcoming that continued to affect the association's performance was the
lack of co-ordination between different branches of the association and other
local relevant organisations made it difficult to learn from each other's
experiences and help each other.
Pham Ba
Nhat, deputy chairman of the association, said that in the coming five years,
the association's activities would be focused on residents in poor, remote
areas in the central province of Quang Binh where the Van Kieu and Ruc ethnic
minorities reside, and in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai, home
to the Giay and Kho Mu ethnic minorities.
The
association would strive to set up reproductive health clinics in all
provinces and cities by 2019, he said, adding that they would be equipped
with three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasound machines.
Training
courses would be organised for volunteers and social workers to increase
their effectiveness, Nhat said.
The
association would also mobilise more support for its work from the State,
localities and international agencies, he added.
The
VINAFPA was founded in 1993. It is a member of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front
and the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
Asian
aquaculture diseases discussed
A
triennial Asian symposium on diseases affecting aquaculture opened in
The
five-day DAA9 will discuss issues related to bio-security compliance,
parasitic diseases, early mortality syndrome in shrimp, fish viral disease,
fish and shrimp immunology, diseases affecting tilapia and catfish, aquatic
diseases, and husbandry and management.
"The
Asian region as a whole has excelled in aquatic animal health research over
the last 25 years and this is illustrated by the excellent collaborations
that are being sustained between aquatic animal health professionals of Asia
Pacific and reflected in the quality of science outputs from the
region," Chadag Vishnumurthy Mohan, Chairman of the Asian Fisheries
Society's Fish Health Section (FHS), said.
Addressing
the opening session, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu
Van Tam said DAA9 offered a good opportunity to scientists, managers, and
businesses involved in aquaculture and aquatic animal health in
It was
also a great opportunity for businesses to promote aquaculture activities,
aquatic and aquatic produce, aquatic feed, aquatic veterinary products and
technology related to aquatic animal health, he said.
It
offered
According
to recent Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
estimates, considering the potential impacts of global population and income
growth on fish consumption, fish demand is expected to reach 261 million
tonnes in 2030.
To meet
this demand, future fish supply from aquaculture needed to increase
significantly, Rohana Subasinghe, senior aquaculture officer of the FAO's
Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, said.
From
past experience it was clear that producers would always attempt to bridge
any demand-supply gap even at the cost of sustainability, he warned.
Historically,
disease has proved a major constraint to efficient production in many
aquaculture systems, he said.
Major
improvements had been made in recent years in the understanding of the
aetiology and epidemiology of fish diseases, and aquaculture producers in
many countries had dramatically improved their husbandry practices with
greater focus now on fish health and welfare, he said.
Many
serious infectious diseases had been controlled through new therapeutics and
vaccines, but new disease problems were emerging and previously rare diseases
were becoming much more prevalent, making continued vigilance and solution
development vital, he added.
Mohan
from FHS said DAA9 had attracted over 260 high-quality research submissions
from the Asia-Pacific and other parts of the world.
The
growing interest in emerging diseases, diseases of fast developing
aquaculture items like tilapia and catfish and fish immunology was very
evident in the DAA9 scientific programme, he said.
The
symposium, organised by the FHS in co-operation with the Department of Animal
Health, ends this Friday.
Producers,
traders blamed for substandard food safety
Though
food producers' and traders' awareness of hygiene has improved, their sense
of responsibility and adoption of practices to ensure food safety have not,
experts have said.
One of
the hurdles to ensuring food safety is fraud in indicating origins and the
reluctance to obey regulations and authorities, Nguyen Hung Long, deputy
director of the Ministry of Health's Food Hygiene and Safety Department,
said.
"The
main reason is the low sense of responsibility among people participating in
food production and trading," he told a seminar in
They are
emboldened to continue their fraudulent practices by the shortage of human
resources to monitor them, checking equipment, and funds, he said.
The
common causes of food pollution are microorganisms; toxic chemicals like
plant protection chemicals, growth substances, fungicides, and preservatives;
and heavy metals, he said.
The risk
of contamination remains huge at every stage of the supply chain and very
difficult to prevent in a sustainable manner due to land and water pollution
and lack of planning to create safe farming areas, he admitted.
Plant
seeds, fertilisers, and plant protection chemicals are mostly supplied by
small business, illegally imported, and of unknown origin and poor quality,
he added.
Ly Kim
Chi, president of the Food and Foodstuff Association in
Banned
chemicals are still used in agriculture, aquaculture, and seafood processing,
while the methods of storing agricultural produce and processing food leave
them susceptible to contamination, she said. In the first 10 months of the
year nearly 110 cases of severe food poisoning occurred around the country,
killing 20 people and affecting 3,800 others, she said.
The
seminar, titled "Food Safety: Responsibilities of Manufacturers,
Distributors, Retailers", was organised by the American Chamber of
Commerce in
It
attracted nearly 200 executives from the food and beverage industry, supply
chain, and logistics firms.
Workshop
teaches football, life skills
Football
for Hope Adidas Exchange Programme in
Fifty-four
members from 16 non-government organisations in Asia and
The
workshop, being hosted by the Football for All in Viet Nam (FFAV), will
include two seminars on ‘Development through football in schools' and a
coaching seminar on the ‘widely recognised Coerver Coaching method'.
The
four-day programme provides organisations an opportunity to exchange and
develop expertise and skills that are vital for an effective programme
delivery and their overall operations.
FFAV
rises above cultural norms to create non-competitive, inclusive football and
life skills programmes for children – aged between six and 15 – from
disadvantaged communities, including orphans, ethnic minorities and street
children, with training sessions and tournaments.
The
In the
men's finals, HCM City beat Ha Noi, 2-1 (1-6, 6-1, 6-1), to take the lead
while in the women's finals, HCM City defeated Da Nang, 2-0, to win the gold
medal.
Athletes
take a day off today and resume competitions in five events tomorrow.
Experts
seek to improve community learning centres’ effectiveness
The
two-day function was co-organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and
Training (MOET) and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation’s
Regional Centre for Lifelong Learning (SEAMEO CELLL).
Prof. Dr
Teuchi Akitoshi from
These
CLCs also run technical and cultural activities, helping consolidate
community solidarity, he added.
Participants
at the function said the Kominkan model partly contributed to Japan’s rising
from a war-torn country to a global power within 20 years.
Piloted
in
Director
of MOET’s Continuing Education Department Nguyen Cong Hinh said such a rapid
expansion of CLCs has proved their role in eradicating illiteracy,
universalising primary and secondary education, and supporting poverty
alleviation.
However,
he pointed out to some problems in CLCs’ operations, noting that only 30
percent of the centres work effectively.
Hinh
attributed this fact to limited capacity of centres’ managers, monotonous
activities, the shortage of learning material, as well as the lax
coordination between universities and CLCs.
Educational
experts, therefore, urged the sector to improve the capacity of the CLCs’
staff, adapt learning activities to the local life, mobilise all local
resources for the work, and learn from developed countries’ expertise in the
field.
In 2013,
the Vietnamese Prime Minister approved a project on building a learning
society between 2012 and 2020 with concrete targets on illiteracy
eradication, educational universalisation, the improvement of workforce’s
computer, foreign language and professional skills, and people’s engagement
in soft skill training programmes.
Project
to improve livelihoods in Ben Tre province expanded
The Seed
to Table Programme is providing 75,000 USD to expand its ongoing project to
improve the livelihoods of disadvantaged households in Binh Chanh district in
the southern province Ben Tre.
Accordingly,
two more communes of the district, Vang Quoi Dong and Tam Hiep, will
participate in the project from December onwards.
The main
objectives of the project are to support the development of environmentally
friendly agriculture and to provide local residents with fresh water storage
tanks for the dry season.
The
project has been underway since July 2012, with 90,000 USD allocated to five
poor rural communes so far, namely Thanh Phuoc, Dai Hoa Loc, Phu Long, Chau
Hung and Long Hoa.
It has
helped change farmers’ behaviour and supported the application of green
production methods, including organic vegetable farming.
More
funds allocated to flood risk reduction in Binh Dinh
The
People’s Committee of the central
The
476,000 USD project, funded by the Institute for Social and Environmental
Transition, will run from the end of 2014 to late 2015.
The
project aims to increase the resilience of local residents to cope with
climate change, while reducing the impact and risks of flooding.
As part
of the project, residents will be provided with up-to-date information on
flood conditions on the two river systems and in lower areas, as well as the
creation of a flood map network for Nhon Phu and Nhon Binh districts in the
city of
Additionally,
the project aims to make local infrastructure more resilient to climate
change and natural disasters, including safe houses and improved access to
clean water, as well as improving residents’ understanding of climate change
and natural disaster risk management in the community. Four monitoring
stations and multi-functional houses will be constructed, and a text message
early warning programme will be set up.
The Ha
Thanh and Kon rivers traverse the province and often cause floods, threatening
the day-to-day lives of more than 40,000 households during the rainy season.
Biogas
benefits people in Central Highlands
The
application of biogas technology in daily use has been benefiting people in
the Central Highlands
Truong
Van Minh, a local farmer, said his family has applied the technology since
2012 and can save 400,000-500,000 VND (19-24 USD) per month.
It has
also created a healthy environment for not only his family but also his
neighbours, he added.
The
province has so far constructed over 1,100 biogas plants, each worth 10 to 25
million VND ( 235- 1,190 USD). The plants are not only economically efficient
but also environmentally friendly.
The
biogas technology is one of the effective measures to create clean energy
sources as well as reduce deforestation for firewood and greenhouse gas
emissions. Biogas is produced from the decomposition process of animal and
plant waste in the absence of oxygen.
With
more than 760,000 heads of cattle and 2.3 million fowls, the province should
expand the model among people, especially ethnic minorities, in an effort to
solve environmental pollution and gradually drive back epidemics.
WB-funded
project helps improve social assistance system
A World
Bank-funded project aiming at supporting efficiency and enhancing reforms in
the social assistance system was launched on November 24 by the Ministry of
Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in the central province of Quang Nam.
The
social assistance system strengthening project is piloted in the provinces of
Quang
A
national database on social beneficiaries and a modern management system will
be developed within the project’s framework.
The
project is expected to simplify administrative procedures for social
assistance, thus promoting poverty reduction as well as bringing more
benefits to vulnerable people.
Workshop
aims to promote science, technology and innovation
An
international workshop on improving the measurement and assessment of
science, technology and innovation kicked off in
Deputy Minister
of Science and Technology Tran Quoc Khanh said the workshop provided a chance
for domestic and international experts to share their experience and
different approaches, and make recommendations for
Experts
from the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), the
Victoria
Kwakwa, the WB Country Director in
To
strengthen competitiveness on the world market,
At the
workshop, OECD released its report on science, technology and innovation in
The
workshop marks the debut of the FIRST–NASATI sub-project, part of the
WB-funded “Fostering Innovation through Research, Science and Technology”
project for 2013-2019.
Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND
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Thứ Hai, 24 tháng 11, 2014
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