Female sex workers get help to integrate into community

Plan International will fund research and policy making to help female sex workers integrate into the community as part of a three-year project that was launched in Hanoi on May 3.

Under the project, which was signed between the non-governmental organisation and the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) on the same day, a pilot model will be carried out in Hanoi with a host of activities such as consultations, vocational training and livelihood support.

The project is part of activities within the framework of the Plan of Action for Prostitution Prevention and Combat in the 2011-2015 period ratified by the Prime Minister on May 10, 2011.

Country Director of Plan International Vietnam Glenn Gibney said female sex workers in Hanoi face a broad range of difficulties and challenges in integrating into the community and seeking new jobs.

He expressed his hope that the project will create new lives for female sex workers in the capital city.

The project is expected to aid sex workers who want to integrate into the community, and serves as a background for the building and issuance of a finalised legal system, said MoLISA Deputy Minister Nguyen Trong Dam.

He urged relevant units to closely work with the organisation during the project.

Founded over 75 years ago, Plan International is one of the world’s largest child-centred community development organisation operating in 50 countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas.-

New ethnic affairs website launched

The new web portal of the Government’s Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA) was launched on May 3 in Hanoi as part of the programme to reform administrative formalities.

Minister-Chairman of the Com mittee for Ethnic Minority Affairs Giang Seo Phu attended the launch ceremony.

The new web portal ( www.ubdt.gov.vn ) provides information on the guidelines and polices of the Party and State related to ethnic affairs, and reflects the aspirations of ethnic minorities across the country.

The website also provides online public services, serving as a database of the country’s ethnic groups and direct services for CEMA staff and officials.-

PM approves project to care for deprived children

The Prime Minister has just approved a project to care for children in especially difficult circumstances during the 2013-2020 period.

They are orphans, abandoned children, HIV/AIDS carriers, victims of toxic chemicals, children with severe disabilities and victims of natural disasters.

The community-based project aims to mobilise the participation of the whole of society, especially families and local communities, to care for the children.

Under the project, by 2020, 95 percent of disadvantaged children will receive assistance and access to social services; suitable care models will be developed for children, who are severely disabled, victims of toxic chemicals and HIV/AIDS carriers; and the quality of care for especially deprived children at welfare centres will be enhanced.

Also as part of the project, policies and legal documents relating to the participation of the community will be devised.-

Trafficked children returned to Vietnam

The Ministry of Public Security of China returned 10 Vietnamese children who had been trafficked to China to the Vietnamese side at a ceremony in Guangxi province on May 3.

The children were rescued in a special operation called “8.6.2011”, jointly coordinated by the Ministry of Public Security of the two countries.

In February, 2011, Guangxi police received information about a criminal gang that smuggled Vietnamese children to localities in Guangdong province, China, then the operation “8.6.2011” was set up to investigate the case.

In July, 2011, Chinese police arrested 43 people suspected of trafficking children, and rescued 10 Vietnamese children - the youngest was under 10 days old, and the oldest only seven months old.

Some of the children suffered from illnesses, but all recovered after treatment in Chinese hospitals.

The Chinese Ministry of Public Security has pledged to accelerate activities to end trans-national children trafficking and foster cooperation with its Vietnamese partner.

The ministry has rescued and returned 1,804 trafficked women and 41 children to Vietnamese authorities since 2009.-

Hanoi makes efforts to supply water to all residents

Hanoi has been implementing a five-year plan to provide all people in the city’s rural areas access to hygienic water by 2015.

According to Deputy Head of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Dao Duy Tan, the plan also sets the target that 100 percent of families in the city will have hygienic toilets by 2015.

The 2013-2017 plan has a total budget of 743 billion VND (35.3 million USD, with 640 billion VND sourced by loans from the World Bank.

The programme, covering 13 districts with 77 communes, will be carried out in three phases. Phase one will build seven water plants and pipeline systems to supply water for about 165,000 people. In phase two, 167 toilets for schools and 22,100 sanitation facilities for familie will be built, while phase three will focus on enhancing working capacity for the water supply and environmental hygiene sectors.

Besides, the city has mobilised various resources to invest in fresh water supply programmes in rural areas, with a total investment of 1,836 billion VND (87.4 million USD).

Currently, two thirds of Hanoi’s rural population lack fresh water, 15 percent of them do not have access to clean water.

Water shortage is a problem for many localities in the city, including Chang Son and Thach Xa communes in Thach That district, Hiep Thuan commune in Phuc Tho district, Tam Hung, Thanh Thuy and Xuan Duong communes in Thanh Oai district, and Quang Phu Cau and Lien Bat communes in Ung Hoa district.

Vietnam has 3.5 million asthma sufferers

Almost 4 percent of the Vietnamese population suffers from asthma, said Bach Mai Hospital Director Nguyen Quoc Anh at a meeting in Hanoi on May 3 to mark World Asthma Day.

Although the disease is not contagious, recent research reveals the worldwide bronchial asthma trend is rising, Anh said.

There are 300 million people in the world affected by the disease, and the figure is expected to increase to 400 million by 2025. Treating the disease costs tens of billions of US dollars each year.

Asthma has serous repercussions for patients, their families, and society. Its fatality rate is still high despite advances in its management, Anh said.

He added asthma patients can live normal lives provided proper treatment is received and maintained.

However, some patients and medical staff have yet to recognize the importance of preventive treatment. Five percent of asthma patients currently completely control the condition and nearly 20 percent manage it well.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen said bronchial asthma is a serious health issue. The healthcare sector has tried to improve the quality of treatment, control, and prevention of the disease.

A project targeting bronchial asthma and lung disease has been running since 2012 and delivered a number of positive results, raising public awareness of preventive measures. The project will proceed in 15 provinces and cities in 2013.

The meeting was followed by a medical seminar on asthma diagnosis and treatment featuring experts from the US, Australia, and Vietnam.

 Hospitals respond to hand cleaning campaign

As many as 20 hospitals in the Central region on May 3 signed pledges to join the campaign “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands” in response to the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s annual drive to reduce bacterial contamination caused by poor hand hygiene.

The signing ceremony was co-organised by the Vietnamese Nurses Association, the Society of Infection Control in the Central region, and Hue Central Hospital.

At the event, representatives from the hospitals received publications on patient safety and the benefits of cleaning your hands. They also learnt about bacterial contamination control and hands washing in hospitals, as well as hand hygiene evaluation tools from the WHO.

They also exchanged ways to raise public awareness of the important role hand hygiene plays in preventing diseases.

The “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands” campaign was initiated by WHO in 2009 to improve healthcare workers’ hygiene, thus supporting the prevention of life threatening healthcare-associated infections to ensure patient safety and improve the practice in hospitals.

Up to now, the initiative has drawn the participation of 15,596 hospitals worldwide, including 66 from Vietnam.

Hue Central Hospital was among the first hospitals in Vietnam to join the campaign, and since 2011 has been listed as one of the best three hospitals in the Asia Pacific region for enhancing healthcare workers’ hand hygiene.

Delta Dialogue 2013 to open in HCM City

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) will coordinate with the US Wetland Foundation, the Embassies of the Netherlands and the US to organise the Delta Dialogue 2013 in Ho Chi Minh City from May 19-23.

Tthe Vietnam Governmnet Portal (VGP) reported that the dialogue aims to improve the international community’s awareness of sustainable utilisation and management of the Mekong sub-region, call for developed countries’ support, and affirm Vietnam ’s commitment to the region’s development.

The MONRE is asked to work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the HCM City National University, relevant agencies and partners to hold a conference in accordance with current regulations and realise its set targets.

According to the MOFA, the conference will focus on discussing issues related to sustainable management and utilisation of water resources and sustainable development in the Mekong sub-region.

Preventing recurrence of avian flu

Localities across the country have been warned of the possible recurrence of avian influenza in a more complicated manner.

Vietnam’s neighbouring China has so far confirmed 100 cases of avian flu infections with 24 human deaths caused by the H7N9 virus.

The spread of fatal epidemic infections is just a matter of time if there are no drastic measures to prevent the illegal import of wild birds and poultry from China.

During three recent public holidays, police in the northern border province of Quang Ninh seized nearly 30,000 chickens illegally imported from China by shop owners in defiance of strict controls by relevant agencies.

The Chinese government is struggling to cope with the spread of H7N9 infections to 9 provinces in the country.

The World Health Organization (WTO) considers the H7N9 virus as the deadliest, even more dangerous than the H5N1 virus that killed 350 people in 2003. There is growing concern about the possible outbreak of a largest-scale pandemic in the world’s most populous nation.

According to initial reports, flocks of water birds and poultry in the southcentral province of Ninh Thuan have died of epidemic diseases. Earlier, the death of a four-year child in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap was caused by the H5N1 virus.

Vietnam is facing with the threat of three fatal viruses such as H5N1, H1N1 and H7N9 as it has no effective vaccines against human-to-human transmission.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan has asked border provinces to tighten their management to prevent the illegal import of poultry and poultry products in the face of dangers from avian influenza.

In an official dispatch sent by the Government Office on May 2, Nhan requested provincial Party Committees and People’s Committees to pay more attention to raise public awareness and responsibility for the community’s health.

The Deputy PM also asked the Border Guard High Command to promptly devise an action plan to implement assigned tasks based on the Prime Minister’s orders, as well as coordinate with local authorities to deal with any outbreak of bird flu.

To prevent and minimise the effects of all avian influenza strains, especially A-H7N9, the northern province of Quang Ninh has decided to halt the import and trade of poultry and poultry products through Vietnam-China border gates.

Poultry farmers struggle amid bird flu fears

Domestic poultry farmers are struggling after news of the A/H7N9 bird flu virus in China and the H5N1 strain in some localities hit local demand.

According to farmers in several northern provinces, demand for poultry had shown signs of decreasing in April instead of May or June as in previous years.

For the past month, Nguyen Thi Hanh, who owns a farm of 5,000 chickens in Yen The District in the northern province of Bac Giang Province, said she had been extremely worried about the falling demand.

"Our flock have not caught the flu but things are much slower than usual," Hanh said.

According to Hanh, she had been selling at least two tonnes of chickens daily, but now that had dropped to just a few hundreds kilogrammes. The price per kilogramme had also fallen from VND58,000-60,000 to VND47,000-48,000.

Farmers say they cannot cope with this price cut, especially with rising quarantine and feed costs.

A representative from Giang Son Limited Company in Dong Tam Commune said the company previously transported about 600-700kg of chickens each day, but that had slipped to 200-300kg.

Household farmers are also suffering.

Nguyen Van Manh, another farmer in the same commune, said breeding chickens were being sold at VND3,000-5,000 each instead of the normal VND8,000-8,500.

The price of animal feed in Viet Nam was about 15-20 per cent higher than in China, Thailand and Indonesia, according to the Viet Nam Animal Feed Association (VAFA). Last year, Viet Nam imported US$3 billion worth of raw materials to produce animal feed, including soybean and corn.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that normally after the Tet holiday, which this year fell in February, farmers expanded production, but many had reportedly cut back on input costs.

The General Statistics Office also estimated that by April, the volume of poultry was down at least 2-3 per cent compared with last year.

According to Nguyen Tri Cong, chairman of the Dong Nai Livestock Association, the province had about 1.1 million pigs and 10 million chickens, and was among the provinces with the highest number of large-scale livestock facilities, but many firms were selling up, he said.

Nguyen Xuan Duong, acting head of the Department of Livestock Production, said Viet Nam had about 4 million households that raised pigs and 7.5 million with poultry, calling for more support for households to develop sustainable production that could handle such market fluctuations.

Officials have suggested ways to reduce the cost of production such as mixing feed for cattle and poultry to reduce costs.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is looking at relevant agencies, people's committees and slaughterhouses to increase quarantine and preventative measures.

At least 119 patients in the country have tested positive for different strains of flu so far this year, according to the national flu supervision report.

Sugarcane plantations set to shrink in Mekong Delta

The area under sugarcane in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta is expected to fall significantly this year, with many provinces planning to plant the crop only in high-yield areas or simply reduce its cultivation.

Sugarcane farming has already shrunk in the area in recent times due to low prices and relentlessly rising costs.

Nguyen Van Dong, director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hau Giang Province, the biggest sugarcane grower in the delta, said farmers made profits of just VND30–50 per kilogramme in the 2012-13 crop.

Due to the low profits, many farmers in the delta, the country's main sugarcane growing area, have stopped planting the crop.

Dong said Hau Giang had 14,000-15,000ha under the crop, but its plan to ensure sustainable development of sugarcane farming envisages a reduction to around 12,000ha and a focus on high-yielding areas.

In areas of low productivity, other trees would replace sugarcane, he added.

Nguyen Thanh Long, chairman of the Viet Nam Sugar and Sugar Cane Association, said the 2012-13 crop has been harvested in the delta, and the task would be completed next month in the central and Central Highlands regions.

Sugar production from the crop would be nearly 1.5 million tonnes, leaving a surplus of 400,000 tonnes after domestic consumption and exports, he said.

The volumes would not be too large if sugar was not smuggled into the country, he said.

But if large quantities were indeed smuggled in, the contraband items, with their cheap prices, would dominate the market, putting local producers in a spot, he said.

Sugarcane yields in Viet Nam remain low compared to other countries, pushing up production costs.

Sugar mills struggle with high inventories but cannot export due to their high prices.

The high prices also encourage smuggling.

Industry insiders warned that sugar companies would be unable to find a way out of the problem without a master plan by the Government.

An Binh islet set for stable power supply

Central Quang Ngai Province's Industry and Trade Department plans to supply stable power to the 500 residents of An Binh Islet, 30km off the coast of the province, in the next three years.

Inhabitants of the small islet currently rely on a small solar power energy system that offers only enough power for a few hours of light or TV.

"We propose to produce power from diesel-driven generators and bigger solar panels by 2015. The current solar power system supplies only 80w to each household for a few hours," said Truong Quang Dung, the department's deputy director.

This is only a temporary solution, however; the Government plans to build a grid to provide constant electricity to everyone in the district.

Tran Ngoc Nguyen, chairman of the district's people's committee, said 22,000 inlanders live in the district, which includes three communes (An Vinh, An Hai and An Binh). Currently electricity from diesel generators is supplied for only five hours each day and 15 days each month.

A 2009 thermo-power project was abandoned, as it would have heavily polluted the environment.

The island aims to become a tourism centre by 2020.

Boat loaded with iron ore sinks near Co To

A ship carrying iron ore sank near Co To Island in northern Quang Ninh Province while traveling from Nghe An to China early yesterday morning.

All eight crew members were safely brought to another ship anchored nearby before the incident occurred, according to the Viet Nam Coastal Observatory.

The sunken ship, Lam Hong 26, belongs to a joint stock company in Nghe An Province.

Authorities are seeking ways to tow the ship into the harbour.

Children suffering from burns set for free care

Around 100 poor children suffering from burns injuries will be provided with free medical check-ups and treatment in HCM City from today until May 10.

The procedures will be conducted by a team of international volunteer doctors and the National Odonto-Stomatology Hospital.

Perenco, an independent oil and gas company, is funding US$16,000 towards the programme through Operation Smile Vietnam.

Better training to benefit rural workers

Provinces now have to ratify their production and human resource plans before they can receive state funding for vocational training in their localities.

The move was made by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to adjust its vocational training programme from this year to ensure its effectiveness.

The training will not be conducted if labourers do not know where they will work and what income they will get after training, the ministry says.

This year, the project targets vocational training for about 600,000 rural workers of which 70 per cent are expected to be employed.

The project will invest in infrastructure and teaching aids for nearly 160 state vocational training centres.

Funding would be increased the following year for localities with good outcomes, the project's management board said.

More than 1 million rural workers received vocational training over the past three years and 75 per cent of them had found new jobs or continued their old jobs with higher incomes.

This was according to Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Ngoc Phi, who said the figures were the result of a concerted effort by the Government.

In fact, Phi said, the number of trainees was not as high as expected because the project had faced lots of difficulties during the early stages.

However, the number of people registering for the courses increased year by year, he said.

Besides 750 existing vocational centres, localities called for more than 200 enterprises and 400 different centres, and more than 11,000 engineers, scientists and skilful workers to help with the training.

More than 50 per cent of trainees increased their incomes by 10-30 per cent while the number of people escaping poverty and households with higher incomes had increased.

Nearly 40,000 people living under the poverty line had jobs after the training courses. They made up nearly 40 per cent of poor workers joining the training.

Some localities were successful in setting up the model of vocational training together with manufacturing schemes and the consumer market. These included Bac Giang northern province with the product of Yen The chicken, and Bac Kan northern province with vermicelli.

Deputy director of the General Department of Vocational Training Nghiem Trong Quy said specialising produced high rewards.

Localities joined hands with enterprises to develop specialist areas, for example co-operatives joined with tea companies to train for a career in planting and processing tea and with rubber companies in the planting of rubber trees.

The programme has helped in restructuring the rural economy, the ministry said.

Driver charged after death crash

A 36-year-old container-truck driver has been arrested after being involved in an accident which claimed five lives and injured eight others in the central Thua Thien Hue Province on Tuesday.

The driver, Ton That Tung, from HCM City, was reportedly driving at high speed on the wrong side of the road when it hit a coach on National Highway 1A in Phong Dien District.

Families of the deceased have already received VND6 million (around US$300) while each of the injured received VND4 million (nearly US$200) from provincial funds.

Amended Labour Code takes effect

The amended Labour Code, which goes into effect this month, permits employees to take a six-month maternity leave but leaves the minimum wage unchanged.

Since enterprises will likely continue struggling in terms of production and business both this year and next year, raising the minimum wage now to meet the minimum living demands of workers could force them into bankruptcy, particularly in the textile and garment and footwear sectors, said Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen.

However, she added that the minimum wage would be adjusted to meet workers' minimum living costs by 2016 or 2017.

The amended Labour Code regulates that payment for extra working hours at night must be higher than overtime wages during the day.

Nguyen Pham Hai, a worker in an industrial park in Bac Ninh Province, said this was reasonable, as working at night was bad for workers' health and the overtime wages would provide a much-needed contribution to their income.

Under the amended Labour Code, female workers can take maternity leave of up to six months. Female workers welcomed the new regulation.

Nguyen Thanh Trang, a worker in Ha Noi's Dong Da District, said a six-month maternity leave would improve not only mothers' health but also that of their babies, as it would mean the infants could breast feed for a longer period.

It would also allow them to save money since they would not have to pay for childcare or powdered milk, she added.

The amended code also changes regulations on labour contracts, working time and break time and negotiation mechanisms between employees and employers.

Workers suggested that a management mechanism be introduced to ensure that the new regulations were effectively implemented.

Poor Quang Tri students to receive education subsidies

The school enrolment season started earlier in Quang Tri Province to enable many poor 12th-grade students to compete for free entrance to a vocational high school in Da Nang.

The nation's official examination for vocational high schools and universities officially begins in July.

Nguyen Thi Nhi and his schoolmates from Vinh Linh High School were among about 50 who are seeking free seats.

Nhi is from a poor family with little chance of being able to afford vocational high school or university.

Another student, Nguyen Van Long, said his chance to attend university was unsecured as well. His parents have to feed three children on the meagre income from farming and also pay for another sister to attend university in Hue.

Students from other remote districts in the province, including Dak Rong and Cam Lo, have had the same exam.

According to Tran Thi Thanh Lien, one of the recruiters, students who pass the tests will be given free study, accommodation, meals and transport for two years.

The applicants do speed maths tests and logic tests and then will be interviewed to make sure that they have strong commitments.

Those successful will have their fees paid by the non-profit French organisation Passerelles Numeriques Viet Nam (PNV).

PNV works with the Software Development Centre (SDC), which is under the Da Nang University.

"In addition to classes given by SDC, we organise classes of soft skills, advanced English and IT by PNV instructors," Lien said.

Beside Quang Tri, PNV this year is helping students in central Quang Binh, Da Nang, Binh Dinh and Kontum provinces. They will recruit 60 to have a total of 121. PNV also supports students to find jobs in Da Nang after training. Some have also been hired by PNV to work as instructors on advanced IT to beginners.

Doctors plead for calm over flu fears

An increasing number of people have contracted human influenza type A/H1N1 in recent days, including whole families, but doctors are calling for public calm after establishing it is merely seasonal flu.

Deputy director of the Ha Noi-based National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Nguyen Hong Ha, said that residents should not be worried because although the virus spread quickly, the fatality rate was not high.

More than 90 per cent of patients suffer from only mild symptoms, and less than 10 per cent develop life-threatening complications such as pneumonia, multiorgan disfunction and myocarditis.

However, residents should not be complacent and should be isolated if they display symptoms such as fever, coughing, sneezing and a runny nose.

If the symptoms persist, patients must be hospitalised for treatment and given anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu, he said.

The medicine is most effective when administered at the first sign of symptoms.

The National Hospital for Tropical Diseases admitted two A/H1N1 patients during the recent five-day holiday.

The two patients from Ha Noi's Thuong Tin District were hospitalised with pneumonia and respiratory difficulties, and one was put on a ventilator. Other members of their families were also suffering from mild symptoms.

The first case of A/H1N1 flu in the Central Highland province of Lam Dong this year has been detected.

The patient was hospitalised a week ago suffering from a cough and a slightly high temperature. Tests conducted by the HCM City-based Pasteur Institute found that the patient was suffering from flu.

The patient is being kept under surveillance in the provincial hospital's isolation area.

The Lao Cai Preventive Medicine Centre also announced that three students from the provincial boarding high school had tested positive for A/H1N1 flu.

The centre is working with the school to sterilise the affected area and supervise the sick students to prevent the disease from spreading.

The province had earlier detected five cases in Quang Kim Commune, Bat Xat District.

A total of 119 patients have tested positive for different strains of flu so far this year, and nearly 70 of them were suffering from A/H1N1, according to the national flu supervision report.

H5N1 outbreak put under control in Can Tho

An outbreak of avian influenza A/H5N1 in O Mon district, the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho , has been put under control by the district’s Preventive Medicine Centre.

According to the centre, a chicken farm in Truong Lac ward, O Mon district on April 22 reported that many of their chicken had died unusually.

The chicken tested positive to virus H5N1. The agency then culled all the poultry at the farm and decontaminated the area.

The preventive medicine centre is monitoring the health conditions of the farm owner and all family members.

With the outbreak, Can Tho became the third locality in the Mekong Delta reporting the recurrence of the flu on poultry, after Kien Giang and Hau Giang provinces.-

Students look towards sea, islands

As many as 9,000 students from universities and colleges across the country are participating in a host of activities under the “Students with nation’s sea and islands 2013” programme to express their patriotism and resolve to protect the country’s sea and islands.

The programme is jointly organised by the Central Committee of the Vietnamese Students’ Association, the Vietnamese Student Support and Development Centre and Quang Ngai chapter of the Ho Chi Minh City Communist Youth Union from May 3-5.

Around 900 students are taking part in the main activities under the programme in the island district of Ly Son, the central coastal province of Quang Ngai . On May 3, the students gathered on Thoi Loi Mountain , the highest peak in Ly Son, to form the word of “ Vietnam ”.

The island is also hosting a photo exhibition on fishermen’s daily life, economic activities and national sovereignty protection at sea.

Twenty two outstanding scientific research projects by students on sea-based economic development are being introduced at the event.

On this occasion, the students presented life-jackets, binoculars and 900 national flags to fishermen in Ly Son and 150 scholarships, each worth 500,000 VND, to local poor children.

Meanwhile, an exhibition on Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos is being held at the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities from May 2-20, targeting students.

The exhibition showcases hundreds of photos, maps, documents and objects affirming Vietnam ’s sovereignty over sea and islands.

Many students have visited the display and expressed their wish and determination to protect Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos in messages posted on a board at the site.

Source: VNS/VOV/SGGP/VNA