US Embassy announces student exchange openings

The US Department of State has announced that it is now accepting applications for its Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD) for emerging student leaders from Vietnam.

The programme offers study at a U.S. college or university for eight Vietnamese students in which the participants will engage in one semester of undergraduate, non-degree study at an accredited two- or four-year institution.

Participants will engage in local community service projects and take part in cultural enrichment activities. The host institutions will also provide participants with academic skill development classes.

In addition, participants who do not meet the host institution language requirements will be eligible for two to four weeks of intensive English language instruction in the United States prior to the start of the academic portion of their programme.

The programme is managed and funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under the US State Department.  The application deadline is February 27, 2015. For further information, please visit the UGRAD website.

Vietnam supports Mozambique flood victims

The Vietnam government has agreed to disburse US$200,000 to support the victims of the flooding in the Southeast African nation, according to the Vietnam Embassy in Mozambique.

The southern province of Gaza is the hardest hit region in the country with over 70,000 people displaced by the flood waters.

The emergency aid will be delivered through a consortium of nongovernmental organizations led by Movitel under the Viettel Group and working closely with Mozambique’s National Disaster Management Institute (INGC).

According to a representative from the embassy, Vietnam’s support will focus on the distribution of foods, foodstuffs and essential items such as household kits and water purifiers to emergency centres where roughly 6,000 displaced families have been temporarily accommodated.

Currently embassy personnel are working closely with the INGC,  Movitel and others involved in the relief effort to distribute the relief aid to the victims.

Since January 12, the Mozambique government has called on international communities to help the country overcome the consequences of the flooding and provide relief for its citizens.

The INGC reported that heavy rains and floods affected 137,000 people in Zambezia, Nampula, Cabo Delgado and Tete provinces. In Zambezia alone, 64 were killed and 4,963 houses, 378 classrooms, 6 medical centres and 51 bridges were destroyed.

Transport Ministry must make clear Long Thanh airport project

Chairman of the National Assembly’s Economic Committee Nguyen Van Giau proposed, the Ministry of Transport to make clear some issues related to the investment plan of Long Thanh International Airport project and broadening of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, at a meeting yesterday.

Accordingly, the ministry must clarify why Tan Son Nhat International Airport could not be broadened and why the airport will never be able to serve more than 26 million passengers a year while experts said that the airport’s enlargement is possible.

Besides the ministry should make clear problems related to air traffic congestion and regulations on night flying restrictions.

For Long Thanh International Airport project, the ministry should spell out investment and exploitation costs and capital structure, estimate socioeconomic effectiveness and impacts.

Dressing the above issues, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang has asked the Airports Corporation of Vietnam to invite Japanese consultants to help clarify.

The Ministry of Transport’s proposal to build Long Thanh International Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai has been approved by the Prime Minister, aiming to ease pressure for Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

However many NA delegates have expressed concerns over the project's huge investment capital saying it will burden public debt which has been on the rise as the project’s first phase is reported to cost VND164,589 billion (US$7.84 billion).

Chicken pox on spreading trend despite not peak season

Though it is not a peak season of chicken pox, the hospitals reported that, this disease is on the trend to spread out. Not only children but also adults are infected with the disease which takes often place in February, March and April annually.

As Children Hospital No.1 is short of vaccine Varilix, many children have not been injected the vaccine’s second shoot; accordingly they are on the danger of the disease.

Recently, vaccine manufacturers have launched 2 in 1 products named Varivax, meaning it will be one shoot instead of two like before.

Doctors advised the parents should take the Varivax vaccine (one shoot) instead of Varilix but parents are wondering if it is good for their children.

Last week, some cases of chicken pox were hospitalized in Children Hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City. After treating these cases, medical experts confirmed that vaccination as per guideline is the best way to prevent chicken pox.

Around 15 percent of chicken pox cases in hospitals are suffering skin infection, skin ulceration and pneumonia; even one suffers critical condition due to pneumonia complication.

The Department of Preventative Medicine, under the Ministry of Health, said that the disease is caused by virus varicella zoster through respiratory tract. When a chicken pox patient sneezes or coughs, people around will be infected with if they inhale the virus. Or people can catch the disease if they get in touch with an infected person.

Dr. Do Chau Viet from the Children Hospital No.2’s Infection Ward said that the most commonly recognized chickenpox symptom is a red rash that can cover the entire body.

Most healthy children (and adults) recover from chicken pox with no lasting ill-effects simply by resting, just as with a cold or the flu. However, some children and adults are unlucky and have a more severe bout and complications, said Dr. Viet.

The Department of Preventive Medicine said that the country has around 25,000-40,000 infected chicken pox patients per year. In 2014, more than 20,000 chicken pox patients were reported across the country.

The Department therefore warned that infected people should soon go to hospital for treatment. People should not scratch to spread the virus and they should bath with warm water and put clothes in the sun.

Vietnam featured in photo series 'The Story Of Hunger And Hope'

The US magazine National Geographic has captured the image of Vietnamese woman in its photo series 'The Story Of Hunger And Hope'.

‘The Story Of Hunger And Hope' photo series captures men, women and children living in poverty across the world - and those who are working to alleviate it. Hunger doesn't care if you're from the wealthiest nation or the poorest. 'It’s about realizing that hunger affects people from all races, all ages, and from every corner of the globe,' National Geographic said.

The magazine featured photographer Nguyen Phuc’s photo entitled ‘Cooker in Black'. Phuc’s photo focuses on a woman preparing food on the anniversary of a death. This is a tradition of most people in Vietnam with the hope that the dead will bless them with all luck in life.

National Geographic editor’s note says ‘A beautiful look at the intensity of preparing food. This image has light and drama and moment. Well done!’

Items in the photo series were selected from 5,000 entries sent to National Geographic magazine and hunger-relief group Feeding America.

Police seize 100kg of fake Ajinomoto

Tu Liem District Police on Tuesday seized 100kg of fake Ajinomoto, a brand of monosodium glutamate, which was being transported by staff members of a Ha Noi-based company.

The police detained 27-year-old Vu Van Quyet, director of the company, for producing and distributing fake monosodium for more than a year.

Quyet informed police that the company bought cheap raw materials from China to produce the fake monosodium and most of the product was sold in rural areas. The police also seized more than 400 kg of raw materials at the company's office.

Residents, water supply firm trade accusations

Residents and the local water supply company are blaming each other for not having potable water for daily use five years after the former settled   in the Tu Hiep-Ngu Hiep Area.

Pham Quoc Khanh, a representative for the residents, said they were having to buy clean water from private suppliers or use unclean  underground water for their daily needs.

He said that households that settled in the area in 2010 have had no clean water supply until now, only a few managed to receive electricity  connections last year.

Khanh said that 40 households in the area have sent several complaints to the Thanh Tri District People's Committee, Ha Noi Water Company  and Thanh Tri District Project Management Board, but no solution has been found to date.

The Thanh Tri Project Management Board had sent a team to the area last May to check the water system, but there was no follow-up action, he  said.

Khanh also claimed that the Thanh Tri Police Bureau and a temporary market were getting clean water, while the residential area located  

between them got nothing.

Some households have to spend VND100,000 (US$5) per cubic metre of clean water or use unclean water from bore wells, he said.

He blamed a nearby cemetery and a temporary market for polluting the underground water source that residents are forced to rely on.

For his part, Nguyen Tien Cuong, Director of the Thanh Tri Project Management Unit, said that his unit had carried out checks to make sure the  entire water system was working and then handed it over to the Ha Noi Water Company.

He added that the Hoang Mai Water Enterprise had already connected the local water system with the main water pipeline located under the  Highway 1A stretch at Ngoc Hoi Road.

However, once the Hoang Mai Water Enterprise, a subcontractor for the Ha Noi Water Company, took over, they discovered pipes that had been  deliberately broken. This was done by the residents, Cuong claimed.

He also said that the water system was checked in March 2013 and broken pipes found then too. He said 65 per cent of the water was being  stolen out of the system, which was well over the eight per cent limit of acceptable loss. This prompted the company to cut off water supply.

Despite the conflicting narratives, Cuong promised that the Ha Noi Water Company and Hoang Mai Water Enterprise would finish checking the  water system and develop a plan within the month to supply clean water.

Viet Nam News has tried to reach the Ha Noi Water Company and Hoang Mai Water Enterprise for more information about the problem, but  have so far received no reply.

Rising healthcare demand, new diseases set to tax health sector

The increasing need for health care would be a major challenge for the health sector this year, as would changes in disease models, population ageing and newly emerging diseases such as avian influenza types H5N1 and H7N9 and the Ebola virus, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said yesterday at an online conference.

At the local level, the health care system failed to meet demand in terms of human resources and medical facilities. Moreover, there were too few beds in many regions and the balance between medical specialities varied between localities, according to the health minister.

Last year, the health ministry reported that the health sector had met two targets set by the National Assembly. The number of beds per 10,000 people was 23 – higher than the target of 22.5 – while the malnutrition rate of children under five was reduced to 15 per cent, below the goal of 15.5 per cent.

The sector also achieved 16 of 18 targets set by the Prime Minister. However, they did not meet the goal of reducing the fatality rate of children under five to 21 out of 1,000 or ensuring that 73 per cent of the population was covered by health insurance.

By the end of 2014, the country had 7.8 doctors and 1.9 university pharmacists per 10,000 residents. Doctors worked at 78 per cent of the country's communal health stations while 95 per cent of communes and hamlets had medical staff.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam gave instructions to the sector, asking the health ministry to focus on reducing hospital overloading and improving service quality.

He also told the sector to improve communal health stations and human resource training; reform administrative procedure and drug bidding mechanisms; and expand health insurance coverage.

Seamen rescued off Hoi An

A fishing vessel that met with a mishap on the Cua Dai Sea, off the central city of Hoi An, was brought safely to shore yesterday.

The QNa 03185 ship, carrying seven seamen, had been hit by strong waves, while returning home after a fishing trip.

All property on the ship, worth more than VND300 million (US$14,200), were lost.

Nguyen Lan, the owner of the ship, said that just when the ship was about to be submerged totally, another ship named QNa 03925, also from Hoi An City, reached the spot and saved it.

All the seven seamen were rescued.

Japan willing to help Dong Nai develop agriculture

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is willing to help southern Dong Nai province promote a linkage chain in agriculture, said Minister Nishikawa Koya at his working session with local officials on January 20.

To realise bilateral cooperation, the two sides will carry out specific programmes from June this year, he said, hoping that Dong Nai will improve administrative procedures and policies in order to support the business community and Japanese enterprises in particular.

The minister also suggested the province invest more in upgrading its transport and industrial infrastructure.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dinh Quoc Thai told the guest that his locality boasts huge potential for agricultural development with an area of over 4,600 sq.km farming land, mild climate and convenient transport. However, the value of its agricultural production remains low, at about 4,680 USD per hectare annually.

Therefore, Dong Nai is looking to step up collaboration with Japan in hi-tech agriculture and food industry, he said, adding that the province wants Japan to invest in its Agropark, transfer technologies to its biotech application centre, and help train human resources in this field.-

Northern mountainous urban programme launched

A ceremony to launch the construction of facilities of Phase I of the Northern Mountainous Urban Programme Project was held in Thai Nguyen city in the northern province of Thai Nguyen on January 21.

The event drew the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, representatives from the Ministry of Construction and the World Bank, and provincial leaders.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai underscored the project’s aim to enhance urban infrastructure and environmental protection efforts, as well as improving the livelihoods of local residents and ensure sustainable socio-economic development.

He spoke highly of the provincial preparations to implement Phase I (2015-2016) of the project in a timely manner, adding that the Ministry of Construction, investors, and project management boards need to clearly stipulate their missions and roles to assure the programme’s quality and progress.

The Northern Mountainous Urban Programme Project was approved by the Prime Minister in Decision 189/QD-TTg on January 25, 2014.

The project is implemented in the seven mountainous provinces of Thai Nguyen, Bac Kan, Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Dien Bien, Hoa Binh, and Yen Bai, costing 301.8 million USD. Of the amount, 250 million USD was sourced from the World Bank and the remaining capital was funded by the State.

The project in Thai Nguyen province, worth 80.5 million USD, will be carried out over six years (2015-2020) and includes upgrades to roads and bridges, nursery school construction, and the establishment of resident resettlement areas.

The project will set the foundation to develop sustainable northern mountainous urban areas as well as strengthening the capacity of local authorities for urban planning and management. In addition, it will become a technical infrastructure model to be applied in other cities.

Mekong Delta: policy loans help 230,000 households rid of poverty

The Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) have provided preferential loans for 1.4 million poor and near-poor households and policy beneficiaries in the Mekong Delta region between 2011-2014.

The loans enabled 230,000 of the targeted households to escape from poverty and 29,000 students to continue their study, and helped create 88,000 job opportunities and build 554,000 clean water supply facilities and toilets.

The assistance contributed to regional joint efforts to reduce poverty rate to only 5.7 percent in 2014, heard a conference to review results of a three-year project to improve service quality of policy credit in the region on January 20.

After three years, the VBSP had a total credit balance of 22.4 trillion VND (1.12 billion USD), up 5.5 trillion VND since the project began. The region’s average credit growth remained at 10.76 percent annually, above the national rate of 7.76 percent.

Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission Le Vinh Tan suggested several measures to reduce overdue debts for the VBSP and Mekong Delta provinces, including clearer identification of benefiting households and more transparent loan procedures.

In 2015, the bank targets a credit growth of 9 percent with the rate of overdue debts at 0.7 percent, below the regional average.-

Can Tho to accelerate modern rural area development

The Mekong Delta City of Can Tho targets to have five additional communes meet all 19 criteria of the national “new-style rural area” building programme in 2015.

The goal was released by Vice Chairman of the city People’s Committee Dao Anh Dung at a meeting on modern rural area development on January 21.

The five targeted communes are Vinh Trinh and Thanh Loi in Vinh Thanh district; Tan Thoi in Phong Dien district; Trung Thanh in Co Do district; and Dong Binh in Thoi Lai district.

The city expects to assist another 16 over the threshold between 2016 and 2020, raising the total number of recognised communes to 26 of the total 36 communes of the city.

In order to achieve the 2015 goal, the city has invested 202 billion VND (9.5 million USD) to build primary and nursery schools and communal houses as well as upgrade market facilities and road system in the communes, said Pham Van Quynh, Deputy Head of the city’s Steering Committee for the programme.

Additionally, technological advances have also been introduced to agricultural production in tandem with establishing large-scale fields and cooperatives to enhance agricultural productivity and efficiency, thus raising the living conditions of farmers in the locality.

Between 2016 and 2020, the city intends to funnel more than 4,800 billion VND (228.5 million USD) into developing its inter-commune road system, a 1,200 kilometre-long irrigation system, and other social services and facilities in the targeted communes.

In 2014, the city had five communes which met all the programme criteria, namely Trung An in Co Do district, My Khanh, Giai Xuan in Phong Dien district, Thanh Thang in Vinh Thanh district, Truong Xuan in Thoi Lai district.

The remaining 31 communes have met between 10 and 18 criteria.

The national programme on new-style rural area building, initiated by the Government in 2010, has set 19 criteria for socio-economic development, political structure, and security and defence protocols, ultimately aiming to revitalise Vietnam’s rural areas.

Measures include building infrastructure, improving production capacities, constructing public facilities, protecting the landscape and the environment, and promoting local traditions and cultural identities.-

Forestry a key economic sector for Tuyen Quang

The northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang plans to develop forestry to become a stable, effective, and sustainable contributor to its economy.

In 2015, the province expects to exploit 6,800 hectares of forest area generating over 660,000 cubic metres of wood, while planting another 14,000 ha of forest, raising the local forest coverage to over 60 percent.

To achieve the targets, the province plans to mobilise 90,000 workers in forestation businesses and thousands of local residents to take part in tree planting.

Tuyen Quang has nearly 447,000 ha of forest land, accounting for 76 percent of its natural acreage. The province has zoned off nearly 29 percent of protective forests and 11 percent of special purpose forests, while the remaining 60 percent are production forests.

To date, the province has drawn the attention of strong investors who apply state-of-the-art technology in their production, such as the An Hoa Pulp and Paper Mill which has the capacity to produce 130,000 tonnes of pulp per year. Many other companies are also making use of the abundant material supply in Tuyen Quang to produce furniture, chopsticks, timber and packaging for both export and domestic consumption.

The provincial authorities have delineated a material area covering over 209,400 hectares for processing factories. Of the amount, 163,358 hectares is dedicated to the An Hoa Pulp and Paper Mill and 8,000 hectares to the Bai Bang Paper Company.

Tuyen Quang province is also seeking investment from all economic sectors to develop production forests and protect upstream forests and the ecological environment, creating a cushion for natural calamities.

In addition, the province contracted local households to take care of 18,600 hectares of forest, improving their livelihood.

In recent years, forests have played an important role in reducing poverty, reducing the impact of floods, and preserving ecosystems in Tuyen Quang province.

First solid waste treatment plant in Ly Son island on trial run

A solid waste treatment plant in Ly Son island district, the central province of Quang Ngai has experienced a trial run after five months of construction.

With an average daily capacity of 15.5 tonnes, the plant, the first of its kind in the island district, can handle a remarkable volume of daily and production waste discharged from locals, said Le Hoai An, head of the district’s Natural Resources and Environment Division.

The plant was built on an area of 2 hectares in An Hai and An Vinh communes at a cost of 30.7 billion VND (1.5 million USD).

Once put into official operation, the plant will contribute to improving the living environment for local residents and marine creatures, said An.

Family planning sector urged to improve local level efforts

Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien urged the General Department of Population and Family Planning to improve its services at the local level while attending a conference in Hanoi on January 20.

The official hailed the sector’s 2014 efforts to reduce the birth rate by 0.01 percent and have a ratio of 112.2 boys per 100 girls, compared to 112.5 boys in 2013.

The department successfully managed its human resources and called for assistance from the Government, localities, organisations, and individuals to ensure social welfares across the country, Deputy Head Nguyen Van Tan said.

However, restrictions remain, such as low wages for collaborative staff and a reduction in its communications budget, affecting the outcomes of population and family planning programmes.

Looking forward, Minister Tien asked the department to provide high-quality family planning services and popularise measures against unplanned pregnancy.

In 2015, the sector aims to reduce the crude birth rate by 0.01 percent and increase the rate of pregnant women receiving prenatal health check-ups to 15 percent from the current 10 percent.

The department proposed the Government increase its investment in population-related work and ratify the gender imbalance control project between 2014 and 2020 while adopting policies to support impoverished ethnic minority women and calling for international assistance in the field.

Telemedicine project gets approval

The Prime Minister has given the nod to a telemedicine project, which will be carried out at the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital in Hanoi and several hospitals in Yen Bai and Thanh Hoa provinces.

The project will be implemented in three years with total investment of 8 million EUR funded by the German Government.

Accordingly, a telemedicine centre will be established at the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Hospital, providing such services as online consultations, teleradiology, and health check-ups and treatment from a distance for general hospitals in Yen Bai and Thanh Hoa as well as some of their district-level hospitals.

All the hospitals are equipped with necessary facilities to join the project, which is expected to ease overloads at central-level hospitals and increase the quality of health check-ups and treatment in local ones.

Health sector warns of A/H7N9 outbreak

The Preventive Health Department under the Ministry of Health is warning the community of high avian influenza A/H7N9 outbreak risks, especially during the winter-spring season of this year.

China, the neighbouring country, has already reported an additional 15 infection cases, including three deaths, according to an announcement from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on January 19.

The Ministry has warned individuals not to use poultry or poultry products with unclear origins; immediately report ill or dead poultry to local authorities or veterinarian facilities; and seek timely medical care if experiencing fever, cough, chest pain or breathing difficulties.

According to the WHO, there is a high possibility of additional infection cases in humans during the winter-spring season and could result in an outbreak.

The announcement advises those travelling to countries with known avian influenza outbreaks to avoid poultry farms, areas where poultry is slaughtered, or contact with animals in live bird markets, or contact with any surfaces that appear to be contaminated with faeces from poultry or other animals.

The WHO recommends practicing frequent hand washing with soap and following food safety regulations.

Hanoi aims to reduce 3,500 poor households in 2015

Hanoi is striving to reduce its poverty rate by 0.2 percent from 2014 by removing 3,500 poor households from the list this year.

It also targets no commune with poor families accounting for 25 percent of total population.

To achieve these goals, the city will speed up the implementation of poverty reduction policies by including them in socio-economic development, new-style rural building and infrastructure investment support programmes for ethnic minority areas.

It will also give priority to facilitating the poor’s access to fundamental social services in a bid to help them escape from poverty on their own.

According to Hanoi’s poverty criteria for the 2011-2015 period, the city currently has over 34,400 poor households and nearly 44,640 near-poor ones, accounting for 1.91 percent and 2.48 percent of its population, respectively.-

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