Social News 13/11 Health Ministry warns of Iraq cholera epidemic The Ministry of Health has warned of an ongoing cholera epidemic in Iraq with more than 2,000 people infected. The epidemic has spread to some neighboring countries such as Kuwait, Bahrain and Syria. According to the General Department of Preventive Medicine, the first cholera case was found at a refugee camp at Abu Ghraib, Baghdad in September. At least 2,200 people have now had cholera and six of them have died of the disease, with children accounting for 20%. The disease may continue spreading to other countries in the region as millions of pilgrims will be traveling to Iraq in December, the Shiite Muslim holy month. Vietnam’s Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the cholera situation in Iraq. However, the risk of cholera spreading to Vietnam is low as trade, tourism and labor exchanges between Vietnam and Iraq are not strong. But the ministry said the nation should be on high alert as visitors returning from the disease areas in Iraq might have been infected. Cholera is an infectious disease with some main symptoms including diarrhea, dehydration, and imbalance of minerals in body.  The disease can occur in places which have poor sanitary conditions and medical services. Equal treatment sought for HIV-infected homosexuals Experts at a seminar in HCMC last week urged equal treatment to be provided for homosexual and transgender people with HIV infections as many of them find it hard to get access to proper health services due to social and family discrimination. The city has around 30,000 gay and transgender people, heard the seminar on HIV-infected gay and transgender people co-held by the HIV/AIDS prevention center under the HCMC Department of Health, Vietnam Network of People Living with HIV (VNP+), and PATH organization. In urban areas, the proportions of gay and transgender people with HIV infections are 16% and 18% respectively. PATH’s surveys showed discrimination has restricted these people from getting services and products for HIV/AIDS prevention. A homosexual person called T.A. told the seminar that family discrimination against gay and transgender people has seriously impacted them when it comes to health check-ups. Due to social prejudice, they have to rely on their families but get less favorable treatment from their relatives. “I do hope discrimination will be rooted out and gay and transgender people will receive more love from their family members and the society,” T.A. said. Nguyen Anh Phong, head of the event’s organizing board, stressed that family discrimination has prevented gay and transgender people from having HIV tests. Once such tests show they are infected with HIV, they have no one to share their difficulties. A transgender person identified as D.V from Kien Giang Province said many people think of transgender people badly influence the society and do not understand that transgender people, to some extent, have courage to show who they are. Tieu Thi Thu Van of the HIV/AIDS prevention center in HCMC called for the community to stop discrimination against gay and transgender people and help them benefit from health services for HIV/AIDS patients. The seminar is part of activities aimed to mark 25 years of HIV/AIDS prevention in Vietnam in general and HCMC in particular. Shopping festival to kick off in HCMC this week Robins Thai Expo, which is a cultural and shopping festival, will take place at the Crescent Mall in HCMC’s District 7 from November 12 to 26, featuring various products of Thailand. The festival is an initiative launched by Robins department store to introduce Thai products to Vietnamese shoppers via over 50 booths of cosmetics, fashion items, food and consumers goods. During the two-week event, customers will enjoy up to 50% discounts for all the items on sale plus a “buy one get one free” offer. Shoppers will also have a chance to learn more about Thai culture by dancing performances, Muay Thai (Thai kick boxing) and a flower lantern making session. A similar festival will kick off at the Royal City in Hanoi on December 4-12. Smuggling, trade fraud to be tackled The war against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods will be enhanced in the months ahead of Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday. This was announced at a press conference by the National Steering Committee on Combatting Smuggling, Commercial Fraud and Counterfeit Goods yesterday to summarise results in the first nine months of this year and raise solutions for the rest of the year. Statistics of the committee, also known as the National Steering Committee 389, revealed at the conference that in the first nine months of this year nearly 169,000 violation cases were detected and investigated, while criminal prosecution was initiated in more than 1,000 cases. More than VND10 trillion (US$446.5 million) came into the State budget as fines, up 3.4 per cent over the same period last year. This was the result of combined efforts by the customs and tax departments, the market watch and the marine police. According to Deputy Director of the General Department of Customs, Nguyen Van Can, smuggling and trade frauds across the border were becoming increasingly sophisticated. Smuggled products varied from meat, animals, wood, and tobacco, in addition to sugar, petrol, electronic products and drugs, while in the domestic market, counterfeit and low-quality products and those of unclear origins were still inundating many localities. The committee would reinforce the fights against smuggling, trade frauds and counterfeit goods in the months ahead of Tet when there was a rising demand for such goods in the market, it said. In addition, it was essential to enhance the society's awareness of tackling smuggling and trade frauds.  Viet Nam-Germany Hospital gets recognition as special hospital The Viet Nam-Germany Hospital in Ha Noi yesterday was given recognition as a special-level hospital for its outstanding achievements. Deputy Minister of Health, Prof. Nguyen Viet Tien said the hospital fulfilled its duties magnificently and made significant progress. The hospital conducted about 20,000 surgeries annually 10 years ago. Now it conducts more than 42,000 surgeries per year. The hospital was the first in the country to successfully transplant the liver of a brain-dead patient. It has conducted more than 400 kidney and nine heart transplants. The hospital was leading in terms of the results of all viscera transplants being conducted in the country, Tien said. The Viet Nam-Germany Hospital has more than 1,200 sick beds with nearly 1,700 doctors, nurses and other officials. So far the health ministry has recognised four special-level hospitals, the other three being Bach Mai Hospital in Ha Noi, Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City, and Hue Central Hospital.  Hospital upgrade project helps provincial patients The biggest success of the Ministry of Health's provincial hospital development project was narrowing the gap on quality of treatment between central and lower-level hospitals, a health official has said. Doctor Tang Chi Thuong, Deputy Director of HCM City's health department said after two years doctors of satellite hospitals in the south have applied advanced medical techniques transferred by their colleagues of central hospitals. The technical transfer focuses on cardiology, oncology, exterior injuries, obstetrics and paediatrics. The number of patients being treated at satellite hospitals in 11 southern provinces and cities has been increased, reducing the burden of overload-patient on central hospitals. The project, approved by the Ministry of Health in 2013, aimed to reduce overloading at big hospitals. Fourteen central hospitals were chosen by the Ministry of Health as ‘core hospitals' responsible for transferring advanced medical techniques to 46 satellite hospitals across 38 provinces and cities in Viet Nam. Can Tho City's Tumour Hospital was valued as one of the successfully implemented satellite hospitals in the south. It has so far applied 17 advanced medical techniques transferred by central hospitals, of which some techniques have never been used in provincial-level hospitals, including cervical cancer, laparoscopic surgery. The hospital's directorate said it has been attracting a considerable amount of people from neighbouring provinces, accounting for 67 per cent of total patients. Tran Quoc Buu, 65, from Hau Giang southern province said he underwent rectum tumour removal surgery at Can Tho City's Tumour Hospital three months ago. After successful surgery, five days every week, he has arrived at the Hospital by bus for treatment after surgery. "Accomodation and traveling expenditures are cut down," Buu said. "Doctors and health workers here treat patients kindly." Doctor Nguyen Quang Tien, head of Surgery Faculty at Can Tho City's Paediatrics Hospital said his faculty was transferred eight medical techniques that created a big development for bone fracture-related surgeries. According to the Ministry of Health, over 250 advanced medical techniques have been transferred to satellite hospitals from central hospitals. Director of HCM City's Health Department, Nguyen Tan Binh said the satellite hospital development project has created a close co-ordination of patient management between lower-level and central hospitals. Doctor Duong Phong, deputy head of Traumatology at Tien Giang Province's General Hospital said many of its patients after receiving first-aid were transferred to HCM City's Cho Ray Hospital for advanced treatment. After surgical operations with advanced techniques at the central hospital, they came back to Tien Giang Province hospital for treatment after surgery via Cho Ray hospital's medical file. Telemedicine, in which telecommunications is used to provide remote healthcare, has been applied in skills training and joint medical consultations. Satellite hospitals' doctors can invite surgeons from central hospitals for emergency operations.  HCM City customs seize 200 containers for banned goods   HCM City Customs Department have detained around 200 containers at local ports containing goods banned from being allowed to be imported into Vietnam.  The 6,000 tonnes of cargo were discovered following an inspection of more than 2,000 containers at the city's ports. The goods worth a total of VND100 billion (USD4.76 million) include second-hand consumer products such sa air conditioners, refrigerators, motorbikes, washing machines and rice cookers. The inspection started on October 15 at Hiep Phuoc and Cat Lat ports, with violations discovered in the first five containers. The search was then expanded to ports throughout the city. According to the HCM City Customs Department, the containers belong to 25 companies based in a variety of cities and provinces throughout the country. Some of the firms have attempted to deny the shipments were intended for them. The department said that they were conducting more intensive investigations. Phu Yen finds fame thanks to film   The province of Phu Yen has found fame and started to attract visitors after its landscapes were featured in the local hit, Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass (Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh).  Vietnamese-American director Victor Vu's Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass has dominated the domestic film scene. The film received high praise from audiences for both for its coming-of-age story and the picturesque scenery. Phu Yen Province, where most of the film took place, has benefited from the exposure. Tran Van Quang, deputy director of the Travel Service Centre in Quy Nhon City refused to disclose the number of tourists, but confirmed that the movie had helped promote Binh Dinh and Phu Yen's tourism. Le Anh Hoang from provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said although it's not the peak of tourism season, visitor numbers had picked up since September. A large portion of the visitors were from Hanoi and HCM City who want to experience the beautiful landscapes shown in the film. Ngan Hoa, a visitor, said, "After watching the film, my boyfriend and I decided to re-explore all the scenes shown in it. It's amazing, the real thing is even more magnificent and romantic."  Nguyen Tuan Khai, owner of a local photo studio said couples had flocked to Phu Yen to take their wedding pictures, the studio's schedules are fully booked. In 2015, Phu Yen is expected to welcome 900,000 international and domestic visitors. Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass grossed VND78bn (USD3.5m) during the first month of its theatre run. The film is expected to exceed VND90bn which will make it the second-highest grossing local film only behind De Mai Tinh 2 with VND100bn. Can Tho confiscates fake cosmetics The Can Tho City Police have confiscated more than 100 cartons containing cosmetics with falsified trademarks claiming they were manufactured by reputable domestic and international firms. The cosmetics were made by Ngo Gia Co Ltd in Cai Khe Ward, Ninh Kieu District. Its director is Ngo Gia Thien, age 40. The cosmetics displayed false trademarks claiming to be manufactured by the Hai Anh and Thien Phuc companies in HCM City, as well as by Korean firms. The police investigation also revealed that the Ngo Gia Company's products wer not listed as quality products that were certified by the municipal Department of Health.  Vinmec fertility centre's success rate rises Twenty-six healthy babies were born following artificial insemination at Vinmec International Hospital since the hospital's Reproductive Technology Centre opened in Viet Nam in November 2014. "Six more babies conceived by artificial insemination are expected to be delivered in the last two months of 2015," Hospital Director Nguyen Thanh Liem said. The centre had provided fertility services to infertile couples, which raised the clinic's success rate to 43.3 per cent, equivalent to leading fertility centres in developed countries such as Australia and the United States, Liem said. Equipped with advanced medical facilities, the centre helped infertile couples in Viet Nam to have babies, and provided consultation and examination services on reproductive and andrological health to couples, especially infertile ones. Advanced genetic and stem-cell techniques were used for couples with sperm and overall dysfunctional diseases. A survey of the health sector in 2012 showed that Viet Nam has about one million infertile couples, comprising 7.7 per cent of the total number of couples of reproductive age in the country. An estimated 60 per cent of the infertile couples need help to have a baby. Numerous Vietnamese couples go abroad for artificial insemination that costs at least US$10,000 per couple.  Rice production thrives with large-scale fields The area under large-scale fields has increased significantly in the last two years after the Government began implementing Decision No 62/2013 on encouraging co-operation and linkages in production and consumption of farm produce, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Speaking at a review meeting in HCM City on Tuesday, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said the area of large-scale fields has crossed 550,000ha, with rice production thriving but also other crops are slowly expanding. "The large-scale field became a site for collaboration and connection between enterprises and organisations representing farmers, for technology transfer and for providing public services, especially agricultural training." Le Duc Thinh, deputy head of the Department of Co-operative Economy and Rural Development, said as part of the large-scale fields programme companies have signed production and consumption contracts with farmers, creating a steady source of agricultural raw materials for export, and helped farmers feel secure about their production. The programme has enabled farmers to join hands to increase yields and reduce costs, he said. But the meeting heard that despite encouraging results, the programme faces difficulties. Thinh said a lack of funds for developing large-scale fields, cumbersome procedures for assistance, and poor production infrastructure are among the hurdles to the development of large-scale fields. Delegates also said the programme is suitable only for rice and not other crops, and the Government should consider amending it. Nam admitted that the programme has been making slow progress, with the number of contracts linking production and consumption of agricultural products remaining low. Thinh said only 11 out of the country's 63 cities and provinces have announced policies to encourage linking production and consumption of farm produce, and some 10 have approved zoning plans for large-scale fields. Large-scale fields account for just 4 per cent of the country's total cultivable area, he said. The ministry plans to urge the Government to address shortcomings in Decision No 62 as well as Decree No 15, which guides implementation of the decision, he said. It would also urge the Government to allow local authorities to make zoning plans for large-scale fields based on local conditions, he said. It would seek policies to encourage the establishment of concentrated animal breeding, aquaculture and forestry areas and linkages between production and consumption in these sectors, he said. Nam said linkages between agricultural production and consumption and building large-scale fields are the inevitable direction the country's agriculture would take in future.  Exhibition on Hoang Sa, Truong Sa held in prison An exhibition on Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos opened at the Gia Trung detention centre in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on November 11.  On display are 120 big-sized maps and images together with about 40 books on Vietnam’s sea and islands.  The week-long event, jointly organised by the provincial museum and the detention centre’s management, aims to educate the more than 3,000 inmates on national sovereignty and patriotism, contributing to their rehabilitation.  To date, more than 41 exhibitions of historical evidence and artefacts on Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos have been organised across the country by the Ministry of Information and Communication and relevant bodies, attracting large numbers of visitors. Social work honoured in Hanoi A ceremony highlighting social work development in Vietnam took place in Hanoi on November 11.  According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Vietnam has to date established 408 social welfare facilities in public and private sectors, as well as 76 educational and training facilities. A network of 80,000 social workers nationwide has helped people in disadvantaged circumstances access welfare services.  At the function, Jesper Moller, Acting Representative of UNICEF in Vietnam, said the country has made significant progress in developing social work, with the occupation included in bachelor programmes at several universities since 2014.  Meanwhile, a relevant national project from 2010-2020 reflects the Government’s determination in response to the need of vulnerable groups, noted Moller.  He went on to underscore UNICEF’s willingness to assist Vietnam’s efforts on the subject.  Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan said the national project’s implementation over the past five years has resulted in adjustments in the welfare policy towards increasing assistance for needy citizens and greater community engagement in charity programmes.  She emphasised that social work is a major factor in ensuring social security and sustainable development, thus it is also a key content in the nation’s development strategy.  The Vice President proposed boosting communications campaigns, expanding the network of social workers, and completing relevant legal framework, among others, in order to enhance the effectiveness of social work. Vietnam-Australia food safety forum held in Hanoi The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Australian Embassy in Vietnam co-organised a forum on food safety, a pressing issue in the country, on November 11 in Hanoi.  Participants shared information about good approaches to ensure food safety and identified areas for future collaboration to support the growth of and enhance confidence in Vietnam’s agricultural and food sectors. Addressing the event, Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Hugh Borrowman said Australia is keen to support Vietnam in strengthening food safety standards and modernising the food processing industry to bring benefits for people. MARD Deputy Minister Vu Van Tam said food safety is a primary concern of the Vietnamese Government, expressing his hope that Australia will share experience in its management systems and food safety standards. Participants also discussed commercial opportunities for both countries’ businesses in the agricultural sector. Nguyen Xuan Hong, head of the Plant Protection Department said that Australia and Vietnam will have a chance to boost the trade in fruits as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, to which the two are signatories, is about to be enacted. Currently, Vietnam is negotiating to ship dragon fruits and mangos to Australia as the Australian side pledged to open door for Vietnamese mangos from now to the end of this year. Australia also expressed wishes that Vietnam will import Australian cherries and apples, Hong added. Vietnamese businesses should work closely with their Australian partners to better understand the demand of the Australian fruit market, said Marion Healy, Deputy Executive Director of Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). Ho Chi Minh City spa uses dangerous substance in weight-loss therapy A spa in Ho Chi Minh City has offered its customers a weight loss therapy that uses a dangerous hormone banned in the U.S. and many other countries. The spa A. is located in District 7 and its owner, Le Hoai Anh, has said on her Facebook page that her weight loss therapy uses human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and is 100 percent effective. Regarding the issue, a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Society of Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that HCG, a hormone found in the urine of pregnant women, is banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from use in helping people lose weight. According to the information the spa sent via email, its weight loss therapy is a combination of a specific diet with an injection of a dose of HCG equivalent to 125-235 mg per day. The spa offers three weight loss packages for clients to choose from. Package 1 includes 12 injections of HCG that can help lose 3-5kg and costs VND41 million (US$1,830); package 2 consists of 23 injections that can help customers lose 7-10kg at a cost of VND79 million ($3,530), and package 3 entails 43 injections that can help lose 15-18kg and is priced at VND148 million ($6,600). For customers who want to lose more than 18kg and up to 50kg, the spa will apply a specific package at different prices. The above rates do not cover the cost of nutrition and is exclusive of value added tax (VAT), according to the spa. “With more than 100,000 people around the world and over 100 in Vietnam having used this weight loss therapy, Spa A. guarantees that the rate of success is 100 percent,” the owner says in its program sent to potential customers via email.   Anh said on her Facebook page that this therapy has helped her lose 29.3kg after 68 days. She also cited many cases in which she said her customers had applied the therapy effectively.   Meanwhile, the representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Society of Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery said, “Such a therapy is not scientifically proven. It has been warned against as it is very dangerous and contains unforeseeable risks, so no aesthetic doctors at the society have used it in weight loss treatment.” “An HCG injection can cause side effects such as nausea, anorexia, headache, depression, red skin, pain in hipbone areas, tightness across the chest, difficulty breathing, numbness and swelling in the arms and legs, loss of concentration, and blood clots (thrombosis) that can lead to death,” the representative said. HCG is a hormone that is found in the urine of pregnant women, and is applied in treating sterility in women and hormone disorder in men, under strict prescription by doctors, the society said. There have yet to be reliable scientific reports on using HCG in weight loss treatment, so the U.S. and many other countries object to advertising or using HCG as an agent for weight loss, the society stressed. On Tuesday, the spa owner, Anh, told Tuoi Tre over the phone that her place has been licensed to offer medical examination and treatment in the name of her younger brother. The spa has doctors to serve customers and has obtained import licenses for pharmaceuticals that are used for its clients, Anh said. Meanwhile, the private medical service management office under the Department of Heath affirmed on the same day that no spas were licensed at the address where Anh’s facility has been operating. HCM City strives to reduce new HIV case to 0.03 percent Authorities of Ho Chi Minh City have set a target of curbing the rate of new HIV cases at 0.03 percent in the community by 2020, and controlling the rate of people living with HIV at 0.6 percent in 2016-2020.  The target is included in a plan on HIV/AIDS control for the next five years announced at a conference in the locality on November 11.  Under the plan, which is designed according to the United Nations’ "90-90-90" targets, the city will focus on providing friendly testing and consulting services to people with HIV/AIDS, expanding care services and eradicating discrimination against them in community.  Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Hua Ngoc Thuan said as one of the five localities in Vietnam selected to implement the UN goals in the context of dropping foreign aid, HCM City is facing great challenges.  However, he said he believes that the city will gain positive results in its efforts to fight HIV/AIDS thanks to the engagement of the entire political system.  At least 41,841 people with HIV live in HCM City and the city is estimated to have 14,038 more people with HIV to need treatment by 2020.  The UN’s 90-90-90 Plan aims at: 90 percent of people living with HIV will know their status, 90 percent of people who know their status are on regular antiretroviral (ARV) treatment and 90 percent of all people on treatment will have undetectable levels of HIV in their body (known as viral suppression).  So far, HCM City has set up 14 establishments offering Methadone therapy to drug addicts, with over 3,000 addicts receiving treatment so far. It intends to put six more facilities into operation by the end of this year.  The programme on preventing HIV transmission from mother to child has been carried out at 57 medical establishments, providing precautionary treatment to nearly 90 percent of HIV-positive pregnant women and 99.8 percent of newborns of HIV-infected mothers.  The city plans to manage HIV patients receiving ARV therapy through electronic medical records or phone messages. This will help keep track of the patients and ensure that 90 percent of them have viral suppression by 2020. An national action month on HIV/AIDS prevention is taking place in HCM City beginning from November 10, with various activities such as an exhibition featuring the city’s efforts in combating HIV/AIDS and communication campaigns to popularise the Law on HIV/AIDS prevention and control, and related regulations. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri