Data problems hinder IT application in health insurance

Incomplete data is among the issues hindering the application of information technology in health insurance, according to a report by the Ministry of Health’s Health Insurance Department.

As part of a health insurance medical information system rolled out last June and described as the optimal solution to ensure transparency and prevent insurance fraud, the transmission of electronic data in health insurance management and payment is facing challenges due to continuous changes in local health service facilities, said the report.

These were changes to technical and medical equipment, medicine and other health related items.

Others issues, according to the report, relate to the difficulties in hiring IT service companies to help health insurance agencies follow the Government’s rules on using information systems in health insurance.

In particular, some documents issued by Việt Nam Health Insurance are not synchronised with the Ministry of Health’s instructions on the hiring of IT companies to install medical infomation systems for health insurance management and payment

The problems were found mostly at health insurance authorities at grass-root levels where many staff lack qualifications to record data about patients’ tests and treatments and therefore information transmitted to social insurance agencies for payment is often not sufficiently clear, said the report.

A lack of both quantity and quality of IT facilities such as computers and network servers at local health insurance agencies is also hindering the application of IT in their management works.

A majority of hospitals and clinics have not installed information medical systems with a capacity to import the required data, which often includes many figures.

Moreover, most health care workers have not been trained in IT and find it hard to adapt to the medical information system.

Deputy Minister of Health Lê Tuấn, told the Thời báo Kinh Tế Việt Nam (Việt Nam Economic Times) recently that although this year was promoted as the threshold year for implementing the National Assembly’s resolution on boosting the linkage of health care data between healthcare systems and health insurance and social insurance, the connection is still very limited due to problems in sending and receiving data.

According to another report delivered by Phạm Lương Sơn, Deputy Director General of the Việt Nam Social Security at a conference held in January, 99.5 per cent of medical facilities nationwide have been linked to the health insurance medical information assessment system since its launch, except for 65 commune-level health stations in remote areas without electricity access.

The health insurance medical information assessment system received some 68.9 million dossiers requesting insurance payments worth VNĐ35 trillion (US$1.55 billion) in the last six months of 2016, and another 3 million requesting insurance payments of VNĐ2 trillion ($88.6 million) in the first month of 2017, the report said. 

Dialysis treatment extends patients’ lives

More than 26,000 people receive regular dialysis treatment in the country, which helps prolong their life.  

A 42-year-old patient in HCM City’s District 8 with end-stage kidney failure for three years has visited An Bình Hospital weekly for dialysis, which removes waste, salt and extra water from his blood to prevent them from building up in the body. Dialysis also helps control blood pressure.

Dr Võ Đức Chiến, head of Nguyễn Tri Phương Hospital in HCM City, said that effective dialysis helps prolong the life of patients with the condition.

The hospital has the only advanced dialysis machines in HCM City, which use high-flux membrane (with larger pore size) dialyzers which filter the blood of patients. These are considered by some doctors to be more effective than low-flux dialyzers. 

Chiến said that many patients at end-stage disease need a kidney transplant, but there are not enough donated kidneys. Those patients must receive dialysis treatment regularly.

Dr Phạm Văn Bùi, chairman of the Society of Dialysis Therapy of HCM City, said that chronic kidney failure in 2010 was the 18th cause of fatalities globally, compared to the 27th cause of deaths in 1990.

One out of 10 people suffer from the condition worldwide, Bùi said, adding that the figure in Việt Nam is higher. However, there is no official number of patients with the condition.

Chronic kidney failure cannot be cured, he said, adding that patients diagnosed at the end stage of kidney failure must have dialysis for the rest of their life.

“The leading criterion for dialysis is how to improve quality of living for patients and help them live for an additional 30 years. This can be done with patients who use dialysis in Japan,” Bùi said.

He said that it was important for patients to have normal lives and take part in social activities.

To improve efficiency and reduce the death rate, health facilities in the country providing dialysis should use high-flux dialysis and replace low-flux dialysis treatments, he said.

Hirokazu Matsubara of the Japanese Society for Technology of Blood Purification said that patients in Japan lived longer if they used high-flux dialysis, sometimes up to 40 more years.

Matsubara said it was essential to use very pure water to prevent bacterial contamination during treatment.

Filtration membranes in dialysis machines should not be reused to treat another patient, a practice that sometimes occurs in Việt Nam, reducing treatment effectiveness, he added.

Bùi of the Society of Dialysis Therapy of HCM City said that in Việt Nam, kidney disease can develop in patients who are obese or diabetic.

A strategy for losing weight and preventing diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiac disease helps reduce the risk for kidney conditions, he added.

“The most important thing is to provide guidance on nutrition for patients,” Bùi said.

During dialysis, patients should take vitamins and eat nutritious diets with meals having enough protein, fat and other nutrients to avoid malnutrition and anaemia, he said.

Many patients often become malnourished because they do not obey doctors’ recommendations or do not receive information from doctors about nutritional supplementation, he added.  

HCM City tops national finswimming champs

HCM City topped the medal tally at the National Finswimming Championships in Thừa Thiên Huế yesterday.

After two days, the team brought home nine golds, three silvers and two bronzes. Đà Nẵng came in second with three golds, one silver and four bronzes, while Thanh Hóa finished third with two golds, two silvers and two bronzes.

Ninety-five players from 13 teams nationwide are competing in the three-day event for 26 sets of medals. The event will finish today.

After the tournament, the National Swimming Championships will begin, with the participation of 105 swimmers from 19 teams competing for 45 sets of medals.

New risk mapping training for Red Cross staff

Forty Red Cross staffers from Việt Nam, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Laos are participating in a three-day training programme on Participatory Multi-disaster Risks Mapping, which began on Tuesday.

The training, jointly organised in Hà Nội by Vietnam Red Cross Society and German Red Cross, presents a new, user-friendly risk mapping method called Quantum Geographic Information system (QGIS) to Red Cross staff actively involved in disaster risk management and training in preparedness and response.

The session involves lectures with examples and practical training with exercises so that the attendees acquire the skills, participate and exchange information. 

The training programme is one of the key regional-level activities of the 18-month-long Building Urban Resilience in Southeast Asia project, funded by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO).

This project supports Red Cross partners in Cambodia, Laos, Việt Nam and the Philippines, in building capacities of National Society staff, government officials, school teachers, school children, Red Cross youth and volunteers, and partners, through a coherent, regional strategy on good practices and using innovative methods. It emphasises gender equality and social inclusion, and includes the poor and the vulnerable such as people with disabilities and older people.

In Việt Nam, the project is being implemented in the coastal city of Quy Nhơn in the central Bình Định Province.

“The project aims to enhance the capacity of local, sub-national and national government authorities in building an environment of safety and resilience at all levels for multi-hazard risks,” said Đặng Minh Châu, deputy secretary general of Vietnam Red Cross Society..

"By the end of the project, seven targeted schools in five at-risk urban wards of Quy Nhơn will have gained the knowledge and capacity to understand risks and to effectively prepare for and respond to disasters (both natural and man-made).

“An innovative public awareness and education strategy for disaster risk reduction, targeting specific vulnerable groups, will reinforce positive and safer behaviour, improved preparedness and social change. Local government authorities and the Red Cross will have increased capacity through an innovative QGIS-based preparedness and response mapping methodology,” Châu said.

Vietnam Red Cross Society is one of the leading humanitarian groups in the country, with branches in all 63 provinces and cities, down to district and commune levels. It plays a key role in the National Community-based Disaster Risk Management Programme by providing expertise in capacity-building and awareness-raising at national and local levels.

Commune near Sóc Sơn filthy and polluted

People from Xuân Thu Commune in the outskirts of Hà Nội’s Sóc Sơn District are complaining that a large quantity of waste is dirtying and polluting their locality, the online newspaper Vietnamplus.vn reported.

“There’s industrial and domestic waste littered all over the roads of the commune. People are freely littering and burning waste,” said a local, requesting anonymity. “The waste has filled up the canals and turned the water black and terribly smelly. It’s causing terrible air pollution.”

Local authorities have not done anything to solve the problem, and people are forced to live in polluted surroundings, he added.

Industrial waste such as used car tyres, used sacks and plastic boxes are seen piled up on the sides of the dyke in the commune. Waste also encroaches upon roads, reducing the driving space for motorists.

However, it’s not just industrial waste. In canals, the waste includes dead chickens and dogs that pollute and block the water.

Locals blame the two workshops that recycle sacks, plastic and electric wires for dirtying the commune. Every day, the workshops release foul-smelling smoke and discharge waste water directly into the river, they allege.

But in another section of the dyke, people themselves have burnt nylon bags, rubber tyres and used clothes, which contribute to the air pollution.

“Littering and burning waste have been going on for many years in the commune, and they have polluted the environment,” said Nguyễn Văn Thống, a local. “Black, stinky, toxic smoke generated by burning waste enters our homes despite the closed doors. Burning waste is harmful to our health.”

According to Nguyễn Hữu Tuấn, head of Xuân Thu Commune, the locals have been littering the commune for a long time. Many households refuse to pay garbage collection fees and throw waste on the streets and in the canals, he said, adding that in the past, there were three teams collecting garbage, but one stopped as it was not getting sufficient funds to operate in the commune.

Hanoi customs seize 17,000 contraband cigars on flight from Cuba

Vietnamese customs officials said they had seized nearly 17,000 contraband cigars found in the luggage of four Vietnamese passengers who were returning from Cuba to Hanoi on March 19.

The four, including a woman, arrived at Noi Bai International Airport on a Vietnam Airlines flight after transiting in Paris. Airport security detected the cigars in 15 unlabeled packages wrapped in plastic bags and newspaper.

Calling it a “serious violation”, the officials seized the cigars and ordered an investigation.

Vietnam allows inbound passengers to carry 100 cigars in duty-free luggage. For larger quantities, they have to pay an import tax, special consumption tax and value-added tax, provided the goods meet other export-import requirements.

Ambassadors in Czech learn about Vietnamese culture

Ambassadors of Asian and European nations in Prague have conducted a study tour to learn about Vietnam culture, gastronomy and trading potential of the Vietnamese community there.

The study tour was initiated by Vietnamese ambassador to the Czech Republic Truong Manh Son, aiming to promote the image of Vietnam and strengthen exchange and mutual understanding among diplomats in the country.  

Sapa Culture and Trade Center in Prague which is considered Little Hanoi was the first stopover of the diplomats.

At Vinh Nghiem pagoda, the ambassadors was introduced to the development of Buddhism in Vietnam and daily lives of Buddhist dignitaries and followers in the Czech Republic.

The diplomats were very impressed by Vietnam business strategies when visiting Tamda Foods supermarket, which is now a reliable destination of 15,000 Vietnamese and foreign clients including many Czech people.  

The diplomats also experienced Vietnam’s traditional dishes such as spring rolls, fried shrimp, and green papaya salad. The Netherlands Ambassador Edward Hoek was dazzled by Vietnam’s diligence and culinary arts at the supermarket.

Ambassador Son said the Vietnamese embassy will hold similar activities in the time ahead to further elevate the image of Vietnam to international diplomats in the Czech Republic. 

Pulmonary embolism allegedly causes pregnant woman death

A pregnant woman reportedly died of a pulmonary embolism after her surgery last Friday in the central province of Quảng Trị, according to the provincial health department.

The department made the report to the Ministry of Health yesterday after the ministry ordered the department to urgently investigate the case and hold a council to assess its entire surgery process.

According to the report, the 34-year-old woman from Lao Bảo Town was hospitalised at the Quảng Trị General Hospital last Friday morning. She was assigned to give birth by C-section in the afternoon.

She showed no unusual signs after the surgery, thus, doctors decided to move her to a recovery room at 10:30pm of the same day. However, at 6am on Saturday, she began to feel chest pain and then began to suffocate and foam at the mouth. Her heart stopped beating and she stopped breathing, according to the report.

Doctors at the hospital carried out emergency aid, but she died one hour later, the report said.

The hospital’s management board is working with relevant investigation agencies to examine the case.

It has suspended the doctors involved in the delivery.

Dental clinic suspended for violations

The Hà Nội Health Department has decided to suspend operation of a health clinic in Nam Từ Liêm District after violations.

After examining the Biotis clinic last Friday, department inspectors found that the clinic was providing certain health services without the licence to do so.

The clinic was also found to lack sufficient technical professional processes anti-stroke and emergency regimens, according to the department.

The clinic was licensed in 2014 to provide medical examination and treatment for only patients from the Republic of Korea, but it was discovered to provide health services for Vietnamese people.

HCM City doctors save Singaporean tourist

Doctors in HCM City have saved a Singaporean tourist who suffered from coronary thrombosis while visiting Việt Nam with friends, Deputy Director of the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy’s Hospital Trương Quang Bình said.

B.H.B, 59, from Singapore, was moved to the university’s hospital for further treatment after being given emergency aid at the city-based An Bình hospital on Thursday.

His health has recovered, according to Bình.

Experience shared to enhance natural disaster resilience

A training course on mapping natural-disaster risks using the geographic information system (GIS) at communal level is underway in Hanoi from March 21 – 23.

The activity is part of the Building Urban Resilience in Southeast Asia project, funded by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO), the German Red Cross (IFRC), and TeXAID company to support Red Cross Movement partners in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Trainees are introduced to the latest and user-friendly method of mapping natural disaster risks, and shared mapping experience in Vietnam.

The project, worth 410,445 EUR, is being carried out from August 1, 2016 to February 28, 2018, aiming to increase the natural-disaster resilience among poor people and vulnerable groups as well as local authorities in the severely affected areas by natural disasters.

Once completed, around 76,000 people are expected to benefit directly while 83,000 others and over 30 organisations benefit indirectly from the project.

Bình Dương south-east resistance base honoured with memorial

The HCM City Youth Union last Saturday inaugurated the first phase of a memorial to the south-eastern resistance base in Bến Cát Town, Bình Dương Province.

The 4,750sq.m site is within the Tam Giác Sắt (Iron Triangle) tunnel relic area.

It will cost around VNĐ2 billion (US$87,760) in all.

The first phase, which mainly focused on planting a forest and installing gravestones and memorial works, took five months.

The second phase will see camping sites and outdoor huts built and some scenes from the resistance war against the Americans recreated.

Also on the occasion of the inauguration, the union provided financial assistance to two local families under the Government’s preferential policies for building a ‘gratitude’ house and repairing another.

The Tam Giác Sắt Tunnel played a vital role in Việt Nam’s wars against the French and Americans. It was recognised as a national historical site in 1996.

Primary school teachers, kids attend traffic safety event

Primary school teachers and students gathered in HCM City during the weekend for the “National Traffic Safety Festival for primary pupils in the school year 2016-2017.”

The participants were selected through provincial traffic safety festivals and from provinces and cities that efficiently implemented traffic safety education.

The festival was organised by Toyota Motor Vietnam in co-operation with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC).

The festival was aimed at educating the children and enhancing their traffic safety awareness.

It featured two main events, one for teachers and the other for the children.

Twenty teachers representing 10 provinces and cities -- Cao Bằng, Lào Cai, Phú Thọ, Bắc Ninh, Hải Dương, Đắk Nông, Khánh Hòa, HCM City, Trà Vinh and Kiên Giang -- participated.

The festival also attracted 100 contestants (10 teams) representing the 10 provinces and cities.

Besides the 100 official contestants, the festival also attracted over 1,000 primary school pupils from HCM City.

The festival was held within the framework of the Toyota Traffic Safety Education Program (TSEP) implemented for the last 11 years.

The programme has distributed more than 7.5 million traffic safety education handouts to all first graders, 47,000 sets of large-size traffic safety teaching books, over 83,000 VCDs and nearly 129,000 guide books for elementary school teachers.

It has also successfully organised 32 seminars on traffic safety for nearly 4,300 key managers and teachers from many primary schools besides 76 provincial traffic safety festivals, nine national festivals. 

Vietnam joins Francophonie Day celebration in Argentina

Vietnam joined French-speaking countries to attend a ceremony at the Kirchner Cultural Centre in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 20 to celebrate International Francophonie Day 2017.

The event was held by the Embassy of Romania to Argentina in coordination with Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship and embassies of those who are members of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) in Buenos Aires to promote the Francophone community and strengthen ties between OIF member states.

Speaking at the events, representatives from the Argentine foreign ministry and participating embassies highlighted the importance of French language in connecting different nations and people for peace, cooperation and development.

They also spoke highly of the OIF’s role in addressing global challenges and fostering cultural diversity, freedom, democracy, sustainable development and human rights.

They all extended their big welcome to Argentina as an OIF observer.

A host of activities, including exhibitions, workshops, cuisine events, concerts and a film festival, takes place in Argentina from March 13-23 in celebration of International Francophonie Day.

Founded in 1970, the OIF comprises 58 member states and 26 observers throughout the world. It has nurtured cooperation between its members and observers in the fields of politics, economy and culture.

Vietnam started its membership in 1970 and is considered as one of the OIF co-founders.

Trung Son hydropower puts second turbine into operation

The second turbine of the Trung Son hydropower plant in the central province of Thanh Hoa began generating electricity for the national grid on March 21, just more than one month after the launch of the first turbine.

The plant, located in Trung Son commune, Quan Hoa district, is Vietnam’s first hydropower project funded by credit loaned from the World Bank.

The project is invested by Trung Son Hydropower Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of the EVN Power Generation Corporation 2. The factory has four turbines with a combined capacity of 260 MW.

Upon its full operation, the plant is expected to provide more than 1 billion kWh for the national grid each year and help control flooding in areas downstream the Ma River.

Construction on the plant began in November 2012 and the first turbine was put into use in February. All four turbines are scheduled to be put into operation in the second quarter of 2017, according to the Trung Son company’s website.

Dental health: Expert calls for strengthening community awareness

Health experts called for increasing community awareness on oral health and prevention of dental diseases at a meeting organised by the National Hospital of Odonto and Stomalogy (NHOS) on Monday.

Speaking at the event held to celebrate the World Oral Health Day, March 20, NHOS director Trịnh Đình Hải called for paying more attention to dental and oral health of the community, especially children.

“Over 90 per cent of Vietnamese suffer from dental disease and 85 per cent of Vietnamese children have tooth decay. Many dental and oral diseases can cause nephritis syndrome or joint arthritis," Hải stressed.

“It would be very costly to provide dental and oral disease treatment for the whole community due to the country’s high prevalence rate. Therefore, preventive activities are the most important measure,” Hải said.

“A pilot project has shown safe and effective results of using fluoridised salt to prevent dental decay of the community in mountainous Lào Cai Province since 2011. Expanding the project soon to all provinces and cities nationwide is an important measure in preventing dental and oral diseases for the 90 million people of Việt Nam,” Hải said.

He suggested dentists and relevant authorities expand the school dental programme to protect dental health of students and to maintain the fluoridised water supply progamme, which has achieved remarkable results in dental decay prevention in HCM City since the early 1990s.

To mark the day, the health sector will undertake a series of activities nationwide with a focus on strengthening community awareness, especially targeting dental and oral healthcare of children. Dentists will provide free dental examination and consultation to the community, particularly at schools in tens of provinces and cities nationwide.

Several hospitals will provide free surgery to children with cleft lip and cleft palate in the country. NHOS will also donate dental chairs, medical tools and material to 15 primary schools in Vĩnh Phúc, Sơn La, Điện Biên and Lai Châu provinces.

A survey by NHOS found that two-thirds of children aged between six and 14 have never undergone a dental check-up. 

Worse still, 100 per cent of primary school students are not in the habit of brushing their teeth three times a day. There is one dentist in Việt Nam for 25,000 people, whereas in developed countries the rate is one per 1,000-2,000 people.

Thousands of people to join Olympic Run Day

The Olympic Run Day for Public Health 2017 will take place across the country at 7am on March 26, according to the Việt Nam National Administration of Sports.

The annual event is one of the activities celebrating the 71st anniversary of the sports sector as well as the 86th year of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union.

The event aims to encourage Vietnamese to take part in regular physical exercise.

In HCM City, more than 5,000 people, including students, State officials, military officials and the elderly, will walk or run around both sides of Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street downtown, according to the Department of Culture and Sports.

The Olympic Day Run is an international movement promoting the practice of sports around the world.

Last year, around seven million people in 63 cities and provinces in the country participated in the run. 

Sandy soil veggies lift farmers out of poverty

Growing vegetables on sandy fields is helping farmers out of poverty in a coastal commune in Thừa Thiên- Huế Province.

Farmers in Điền Lộc Commune are reaping success from the new effort, something older generations have not been able to do.

Lê Huy, a local farmer, said he is growing vegetables on a 0.5ha sandy land plot and earning an average annual income of VNĐ150 million (US$6,600). “This has helped farmers here a lot in improving their income. We are no longer poor,” he said.

Huy said he learnt this cultivation model from a local man, Hồ Hợi.

Hợi, whose family had struggled in poverty for many years, initiated the new venture in 2013 by making sandy embankments around his land and digging tiny canals inside the land plot to hold water for his vegetables.

The embankment helps to hold water inside and prevents hot sand from flying around and damaging the vegetables.

Điền Lộc Commune has a total area of 14sq.km and more than 80 per cent of its area is sandy.

After Hợi piloted the cultivation model and earned VNĐ100 million in the first year growing lettuce, celery, green mustard and garland chrysanthemum, he expanded his garden.

Today, his family grows vegetables on a one-hectare sandy land plot for an annual income of VNĐ300 million.

Other farmers in the commune have copied Hợi’s model and succeeded.

“I can’t imagine that I can afford enough for the whole family. My neighbours and I lived in poverty until Hợi sparked this,” said Lê Khuyên, another farmer.

Commune Chairman Lê Văn Thắng said a total of 400 farmers are now applying this model on 50ha.

Thắng said locally produced vegetables have been bought and consumed in the neighbouring provinces of Quảng Bình and Quảng Trị. “The model has lifted up the local economy and we have a plan to expand the area to 60ha.”

Điền Lộc is among the five communes with highest percentage of sandy soil in the district. The Phong Điền District People’s Committee is planning to apply the model in other communes of Điền Hương, Điền Hòa, Điền Hải and Điền Môn.

District Deputy Chairman Nguyễn Văn Bình said his administration has prepared a plan to supply farmers with electricity lines and pumps in order to improve irrigation and make the model even more effective.

“Farmers will be equipped with knowledge of Việt Nam’s GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) standards to produce better quality vegetables, meeting demands of a wider market,” he said.

Workshop promotes Vietnam - Italy cooperation

The Embassy of Italy in Vietnam and the Hanoi University (HANU) on March 20 jointly organised a workshop themed “Italy and the EU dream” to promote the understanding of the EU and the role of Italy in the EU among students.

The event formed part of the activities to mark the 44th founding anniversary of the Vietnam – Italy diplomatic ties (March 23) and the 60th signing anniversary of the Treaties of Rome (March 25).

Addressing the function, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam Cecilia Piccioni highlighted the significance of the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome and the efforts made by Italy to foster the EU cooperation for common goals.

The EU needs to make greater efforts to overcome challenges in the globalisation process and Italy is willing to support peace, freedom and development of the bloc, she said.

The workshop also mentioned recent significant achievements in the Vietnam – Italy relations in numerous fields and the future development goals.

Italy wishes to boost cooperation with Vietnam. Since the establishment of the strategic partnership in 2013, the Vietnam – Italy relations have been developing fruitfully, with regular all-level delegation exchanges and official visits between the two nations’ leaders, and cooperation expanded to multiple fields, including trade, security, justice, culture, education, scientific studies and the environment.

Hoi An offers free entry on International Day of Happiness

Tourists to the World Cultural Heritage - Hoi An Ancient Town, central Quang Nam province, were exempted from buying entry ticket on March 20 in response to International Day of Happiness.

Besides, visitors who were born on March 20 (according to identity papers) received gifts from the Hoi An city People’s Committee.

On this occasion, numerous activities were held such as a four-day photo exhibition which kicked off on March 19, and a music performance themed “Love and Sharing” on March 20.

Nguyen Van Son, Vice Chairman of the Hoi An city People’s Committee, said that the celebration of International Day of Happiness in Hoi An is part of the city’s new highlights, aiming to inspire locals and tourists.

The annual celebration of International Day of Happiness was founded in June 2012 by the United Nation General Assembly, who stated that the pursuit of happiness is a fundamental human goal.

Da Nang acts to prevent violence against women

A fund-raising delegation from the United Nations National Committee in Australia had a working session with the Women’s Union of Da Nang on March 20 on the implementation of a project to encourage the community to join hands to prevent violence against women and girls in the central city.

The event forms part of activities to celebrate the International Day of Happiness (March 20).

The delegation includes 21 volunteers and most of them are Australian citizens.

The guests visited clubs in Hoa Phong and Hoa Khuong communes, which were established to carry out the project.

The clubs, each with about 30 male members, organise monthly activities with different themes, providing necessary skills and knowledge about prevention of violence against women and children.

Philip Pruecell, head of the UN Women National Committee in Australia, said violence against women and girl is a global issue, which still exists in a developed country like Australia.

The prevention of violence against women and girls is not the individual task, but of all countries around the world, he added.

Highway proposal approved to improve Nam Dinh connection

The Prime Minister has approved the investment proposal on a route connecting the sea economic zone in the northern province of Nam Dinh with the Cau Gie – Ninh Binh Highway.

The 46km road will be built with total investment of nearly five trillion VND (about 218.7 million USD) and is projected to complete by 2020.

The road will start at the crossing point with Cau Gie-Ninh Binh Highway in Yen Bang commune, Y Yen district of Nam Dinh and end at the Lach Giang lighthouse in Nghia Phuc commune, Nghia Hung district.

The project aims to improve connectivity between the sea economic zone of Nam Dinh and the national transport system, thus creating a breakthrough in the socio-economic development and tourism of Nam Dinh province and the Red River Delta region.

VNA, ANTARA bolster news cooperation

General Director of Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Nguyen Duc Loi had a meeting with President Director of Indonesia’s news agency ANTARA Meidyatama Suryodiningrat in Jakarta on March 20 to discuss measures to increase bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

The two sides reiterated their commitments to further traditional cooperative ties in exchanging information and supporting respective reporters.

They agreed to boost cooperation activities within the framework of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) and promote the initiative of establishing an organisation to forge collaboration among Southeast Asian news agencies and spread more information about the ASEAN Community.

General Director Nguyen Duc Loi said the organisation will help embrace connectivity as well as share experience and improve the operational efficiency of all news agencies in ASEAN, especially in providing prompt and accurate information about intra-and-extra bloc activities for the common development in Southeast Asia.

This idea has received warm support from other regional news agencies such as Cambodia’s AKP, Malaysia’s BERNAMA, Laos’ KPL, and Thailand’s TNA, he noted.

President Director Meidyatama Suryodiningrat said he will contact with the ASEAN Secretariat at the end of March or in early April to present the idea and necessary steps to set up the organisation in 2017 – the 50th founding anniversary of ASEAN.

Netherlands helps Vietnam develop sustainable agriculture

Netherlands’ Consulate General in HCM City on March 20 organised a talk to share the European country’s experience in developing sustainable agriculture in the context of climate change.

According to Marjolijn Sonnema, Deputy Minister in charge of agriculture of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Dutch enterprises have a lot of experience in developing sustainable agriculture and are willing to assist the development of the sector in Vietnam.

A representative of the Dutch Embassy in Vietnam said in order to implement projects on developing sustainable agriculture, the private sector’s participation is important in the context of diminishing ODA and limited State budget.

Dutch experts were of the view that it is necessary to promote industrialization of agriculture, enhance the quality of products instead of quantity and guide farmers in using water resources properly in production in order to achieve sustainable development. 

Business representatives shared information on feasible solutions to increase rice crop productivity in the Mekong Delta in the context of drought and saline intrusion, initiatives on sustainable production chains and the needs for training in the agricultural sector, among others. 

A representative at the East West Seed Company said at the current population growth in the world, by 2050, in order to meet demand on food, agricultural productivity must increase 70 percent. Therefore, new high yield food crop varieties suitable with natural conditions are needed, he said, stressing that the needs of small farming households should be taken into consideration during the process.

Director of Nedspice Vietnam Willem Van Walt Meijer said farmers will earn more profit when joining production chains for quality products of clear origins. His company is carrying out a project on the sustainable cultivation of pepper with the participation of 500 farmer households in the southeast province of Binh Phuoc.  

In the past years, Vietnam and Netherlands have signed many agreements on agriculture, food security, climate change and water resource management.-

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE