National strategy on pharmaceutical industry launched

Domestically-made medicines making up 80 percent of total consumption is one of the goals set forth in a national strategy to develop the Vietnamese pharmaceutical industry until 2020.

The strategy also envisions that all medicines are sufficient for disease treatment and prevention, including vaccines for an expanded national inoculation scheme with 30 percent for public services.

All drugstores as well as vaccine and medical biological product test stations are expected to meet good pharmacy practice standards while the entire sector is able to meet 20 percent of materials demand for medicine production.

At a conference to launch the strategy in Hanoi on December 6, Deputy Minister of Public Health Pham Le Tuan revealed that as many as 133 drug manufacturers and nearly 10,000 drugstores satisfy good pharmacy practice standards as of late November this year.

He pointed out that most of all domestically-made drugs sold in the market are generic types which require low-cost, simple manufacturing that often caused unhealthy competitions among producers.

The sector has yet to tap the potential of medicinal resources locally available, he said.

Besides, the drug distribution system is still weak in management, infrastructure and connectivity, and reliant on foreigners to regulate prices and supply of specialized drugs and vaccines.

Participants also talked about the safe use of medicines and the development of national products for vaccination campaigns.

Central, southern localities brace for typhoon Hagupit

Provinces and cities from central to southern Vietnam are taking actions to brace for typhoon Hagupit, which wreaked havoc in the Philippines and is forecast to enter the East Sea in the morning of December 9.

Central Da Nang city and Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh provinces are closely tracking the typhoon’s movement, counting their fishing vessels operating at sea, and regularly informing them about the situation.

Local authorities also sent teams to examine and ensure operational safety of reservoirs and devised plans evacuating vulnerable communities. Meanwhile, local border guards are assisting residents in securely anchoring boats and reinforcing houses.

By late December 8, Quang Ngai had 790 vessels with 6,400 fishermen working at sea while 20 boats with 72 people from Binh Dinh were in the waters prone to Hagupit. Meanwhile, Da Nang had 15 boats with 90 workers at sea.

The same day, the People’s Committee of southern Ho Chi Minh City also ordered local authorities and relevant agencies to gear up for Hagupit.

Officials in vulnerable areas, especially Can Gio coastal district, were told to stand ready for evacuating islanders and coastal and riverside residents living in makeshift houses.

On December 8, the Philippine Red Cross confirmed 21 deaths due to typhoon Hagupit in the country.

ADB urges use of ICT in healthcare

Information and communication technology tools are crucial for Asian governments to fast-track quality, affordable healthcare for all of their citizens, a regional healthcare conference heard in HCM City last week.

"Better use of ICT means better data and systems that improve the quality of healthcare while reducing the costs," Susann Roth, senior social development specialist at the Asian Development Bank (ADB), said.

"And ultimately, good health makes for improved lives and sustainable and inclusive growth."

The conference, titled ‘Measuring and Achieving Universal Health Coverage with ICT in Asia and the Pacific,' gathered around 200 key government officials from health, social protection, finance, academia, and development organisations from over 25 countries.

They reviewed evidence on the cost, benefit, and impact of ICT solutions in improving healthcare monitoring and thus achieving universal health coverage more quickly.

The conference also aimed to help ADB's developing member countries strengthen their cases for strategic ICT investments to maximise the use of their healthcare budgets.

It was hosted by the ADB, the World Health Organization, and the Asia e-Health Information Network.

The ADB plans to boost annual funding for health-related projects to $400-$750 million dollars by 2020, around double the current level.

It is also developing a programme whose overarching goal will be universal health coverage, and ICT will play a big role in it.

The bank is already supporting ICT use to improve delivery of health services and ensure better data collection in Asia. For instance, it is financing the laying of fibre-optic cable in the Pacific and a related project to help Tonga use computer networks to provide healthcare services to patients who live far from hospitals and transmit X-ray images and other health data to specialists.

In Bangladesh and Laos, the ADB is helping collect patient data and collate them electronically to enable communities to better plan their health programmes.

ICT investments in Mongolia are improving hospital management and health financing by ensuring hospitals have all the data they need to make the best decisions.

Volunteers cheer patients with portraits

Some 170 volunteers and photographers took part in a non-profit event on Saturday launched by Help-Portrait Viet Nam to take photos of disadvantaged people in Ha Noi.

This is the fifth time the event has been held in Viet Nam since 2010.

Begun by photographer Jeremy Cowart, Help-Portrait is a community gathering of photographers throughout the world who are prepared to help others using their cameras and talent.

This year, Help-Portrait Ha Noi members met on Saturday morning at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) in the capital.

Also in Ha Noi on Saturday, a Help-Portrait event took place at two hospitals: NIHBT and K Hospital. About 1,000 patients and their relatives had their photos taken at the hospital, including some 300 children and 600 adults, five times more than last year. About 1,200 photos were printed and given to the patients on the same day.

Volunteers include amateur and professional photographers, as well as a number of young people who help with logistics at the event.

"Help-Portrait events were held, not only in Viet Nam, but in nearly 60 countries throughout the world. It's an excellent idea. This event not only brings joy to unlucky people whose photos are taken. But this activity also bring joy to the volunteers and photographers like us, who can meet and help them," said Nguyen Viet Hung (nicknamed Lekima Hung), head of the group Help-Portrait Ha Noi.

Volunteers also offered gifts to children in the hospitals.

"I am happy to have a photo taken of me. When I was at home, I only seldom had a photo taken. It was my sister who took a photo of me, but the photo was not as beautiful as this one. Everyone says I am handsome," said Hoang Duc Huong, 13, from Lang Son, who is being treated for white blood cell problems.

He could not hide his joy when holding the photo in his hand.

"This is the first time I have taken part in this event. I was a bit anxious, because I did not know if I could take beautiful photos of them. The event is very meaningful, it is a small gift to help them have more courage to fight their diseases," said 29 year-old Nguyen Anh Tuan.

"The photos can be helpful for them. I've heard of some people whose photos taken by Help Portrait would be the last photo of their lives, and were preserved by their families," he added.

Saturday was the third time Dao Thi Hoang Yen took part in the event, and she always arrives very motivated.

"When I met children at the hospitals, I was saddened to see some children who could not even leave their beds because of their illnesses. When I took photos of them, I was glad to see their smiles. The photos bring the smiles to children and I am touched by the meaning of this event," she said.

On Saturday, besides in Ha Noi, Help-Portrait events were also held in 12 other cities, including HCM City, Lao Cai, Hue, Da Nang, Da Lat, Binh Phuoc, and Can Tho.

The work of Help-Portrait volunteers is expected to continue at the Viet Nam National Hospital of Pediatrics and Ha Cau's Orphan Centre in Ha Noi in mid-December.

The festival first took place in 2010 in HCM City and, since then, has expanded nationwide. Last year, over 9,000 images were printed.

Samaritan’s Purse International Relief (SPIR) on December 6 presented 3,000 gifts worth VND500,000 each to poor children and pupils in Ham Thuan district, Binh Thuan province.

Gifts consisting of learning aid, toys and clothes have also been donated by children in the UK, US and Australia to disadvantaged friends in Vietnam.

Man Tan Dung, Chairman of the Binh Thuan provincial association in support of disabled and orphans, said most pupils at Tan Thuan village are children of poor fishermen and workers so the gifts are very meaningful for them

SPIR has been operating in Vietnam since 1996, mainly supporting children, poor people and disabled people through humanitarian projects such as building schools and providing smile surgeries.

It has also sponsored vocational training for mountainous children, urgent relief for natural disaster victims and scholarships for needy pupils.

ILO announces top three ‘Business Plan’ winners

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) on December 5 announced the three winners of its ‘Business Plan Competition’, which was held in support of the Million Farmers Initiative.

The best Business Plan award was presented to Nguyen Thi Lan from Phu Tho province for her plan to develop an embroidery unit. The plan was highly appreciated thanks to its creativity, feasibility and potential to generate jobs for local women.

Pham Doan Duong from Vinh Bao, Hai Phong City won the Innovation Plan Award. His plan expanded a sedge mat making unit aiming to preserve the traditional craft and creating more jobs for local people.

Nong Thi Hue from Yen Bai province was number one in the best ‘Green Business Plan’ category with her initiative to develop a garbage collection unit.

The top business plans were chosen from 45 business submitted by a panel of international experts from the ILO.

Each of the three was awarded a cash prize of US$4,000.

RoK foundation offer free cleft lip surgeries in Binh Duong

As many as 453 patients born with cleft lip and palates in the southern provinces of Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc have benefited from a free surgery project, with the support of the Republic of Korea’s Il Woong Cleft Lip and Palate Foundation since 1994.

The Binh Duong provincial Department of Health and the foundation held a ceremony on December 5 marking the 20 th anniversary of their friendly cooperation.

From December 1-5, free surgeries for those with facial deformities were conducted by the provincial general hospital and doctors sent by the foundation.

On the occasion, the department awarded certificates of merit to 21 members of the foundation’s medical staff.

Workshop promotes gender equality in political participation

A workshop entitled “Sharing experience in promoting gender equality in political participation” was held in the central city of Danang on December 5.

The event was jointly held by Danang Women’s Union and Paz y Desarrollo (PyD), a Spanish international non-governmental organisation for peace and development, with the aim of finding measures to support female officials in improving the advancement of women, which helps promote gender equality in politics.

Discussing the implementation of the regional programme “Promoting gender equality in political participation” for the period 2010-2014 in Vietnam, participants agreed that encouraging results have been made. Do Thi Kim Linh, President of Danang Women’s Union, said that more women are holding high positions in the municipal administration this tenure.

According to Pham Ngoc Tien, Director of the Gender Equality Department under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, there is an increasing number of Vietnamese women participating in the political system.

However, he added that the figure is still low compared to the country’s socio-economic development level. In the 2011-2016 term, the rate of women in the National Assembly is 24.4 percent, in the Party Central Committee – 9 percent, and in the provincial, district and communal administrations - 11.37 percent, 15.01 percent and 18.1 percent, respectively.

In a bid to promote gender equality in politics, communication activities are an important measure, Tien said.

Meanwhile, Silvia Magdalena Vaca Sotomayor from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID) suggested that integrating gender equality in university curriculum will have a great effect on raising students’ awareness of gender.

KF Samsung scholarships for students from low-income families

The Ministry of Education and Training and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam on December 5 held a ceremony to grant 370 KF-Samsung Scholarship to students who come from low-income families but get excellent academic records.

This year, the scholarships went to 220 tertiary students with US$200 for each, and 150 high school students with US$100 for each.

The scholarships, supported by the Korean International Exchange Foundation and Samsung Vietnam, aim to strengthen academic exchanges among students of the two countries.

Conducted in 1997, the programme has granted scholarships to 2,341 Vietnamese students, contributing to supporting their learning costs and encouraging them to gain success in study.

Farmers reap modern farming gains

An Giang Province plans to expand its vegetable and other cash-crop cultivation areas that use advanced farming techniques to 7,000 ha by 2020, the province's People's Committee has decided.

These cultivation areas use agricultural machines, integrated pest management, drip or humidification irrigation, and net houses (a cheaper form of greenhouse that uses nets to cover the structure).

In 2012, An Giang began implementing the provincial Party Committee's Resolution 09 that called for the use of advanced farming techniques. Since then, many farmers have had higher profits.

The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province also plans to train more farmers in Vietnamese good agriculture practise (VietGAP) standards.

Farmers who use these advanced techniques earn at least 30 per cent more than farmers who use normal cultivation techniques.

The vegetables and cash crops cultivated are mustard greens, herbs, melon, taro, sweet potato, okra, sesame, soybean, peanut and maize.

The zoned areas in the province that use advanced farming techniques are in Cho Moi, An Phu and Chau Phu districts, Tan Chau Town, and Long Xuyen and Chau Doc cities.

Nguyen Van Thuc, who cultivates red chilli seedlings, red chilli and other vegetables in An Phu District's Khanh An Commune, said buyers prefer red chilli planted in net structures because the vegetables look clean and beautiful.

"Vegetables planted in these structures have a higher yield and lower production costs than those planted in the open," he said.

It costs about VND10 million (US$470) to build a 1,000sq.m net house from cajuput trees and net, he said, adding that the houses can be used for two years.

Nguyen Van Thao, deputy chairman of the An Phu District People's Committee, said the district has built two net houses and five polyethylene greenhouses with a total area of 16,006sq.m in Khanh An and Phu Huu communes.

These greenhouses are used for bitter lemon, gourd, mustard greens, tomato and red chilli and other vegetables.

An Phu District said it would encourage more farmers to plant vegetables in net houses and polyethylene greenhouses.

Lam Van Trieu, who grows gourd, Chinese lettuce, bitter melon and red chilli in four polyethylene greenhouses in An Phu, said he uses less fertiliser and no pesticides to grow vegetables.

The crops grow faster and yield a profit three times higher than vegetables planted in the open, he added.

In Long Xuyen City's My Hoa Hung Commune, many farmers grow vegetables under VietGAP standards.

In 2009, the commune set up a "clean" vegetable co-operative team with 16 farmers and a total cultivation area of 7.7ha.

The team, which now has 43 members and 13ha of vegetables, supplies 300-350 kg of clean onion, red chilli, herbs, and other vegetables for local markets.

The price of these vegetables is VND1,000 a kg higher than vegetables grown with a higher level of pesticides.

Nguyen Thi Xuan Loan, chairwoman of the Long Xuyen City Farmers Association, said the association would offer more farmers training in cultivation techniques and organise trips for them to learn about VietGAP standards.

"The city will encourage farmers whose fields are located in high areas to switch from rice to vegetables, using these farming techniques," she said.

An Giang, the delta's leading province in applying advanced farming techniques, has more than 60,000ha of vegetables and cash crops. The province's vegetables are exported to Cambodia, Japan, the US and Australia.

Support vital for victims of leftover bombs, mines

Thousands of Vietnamese disabled by bombs and mines left from wartime are struggling to make ends meet, as the country lacks comprehensive measures to support them.

Leftover bombs and mines have killed about 42,130 people and injured another 62,160, according to the Ministry of Labour-Invalids and Social Affairs.

"Accidents happen when people come across unexploded explosives while working, or when scrap dealers try to detach the metal part from a bomb," Quang Tri Province Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Vice Director Hoang Van Phong told Nong thon Ngay nay (Countryside Today) newspaper. "Children also pick up and play with bombs and mines."

Post-wartime victims of bombs and mines are classified as disabled and receive monthly allowances of at least VND180,000 (US$8.60). Those with severe disabilities that have no family members left are cared for at social protection centres across the country.

Yet authorities acknowledge that the victims need a policy helping them to rehabilitate into society.

"We lack technical factors like psychotherapy and physiotherapy as well as community-based models to create stable jobs for the disabled," said Department of Social Protection director To Duc.

Viet Nam has not yet conducted a national survey to assess the death and injury toll of post-wartime bombs and mines, along with the needs of the victims.

"We cannot provide effective support to the disabled unless that information is fully collected," Duc said.

More than 800,000 tonnes of unexploded bombs and mines left from wartime are buried in 21 per cent of the country, focusing on the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Ngai.

The northern province of Quang Ninh has invested over 31.7 trillion VND (1.51 billion USD) in infrastructure and socio-economic development for 115 rural communes over the past four years under the new-style rural areas building programme.

Dang Huy Hau, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the investment has helped bring the local poverty rate from 7.68 percent in 2010 to an estimated 1.77 percent this year through developing new farming and animal breeding models.

Several large-scale cultivation and husbandry areas have been formed and gradually built their own goods brands, such as Quang Yen safe vegetable, Hoanh Bo flower, Duong Hoa tea, Co To squids, Tan An egg and Ha Long fried squid pie.

The Vice Chairman underlined the four pillars of Quang Ninh’s rural development programme, which are raising farmers’ income, improving the living environment, enhancing infrastructure and developing the cultural life.

The province aims to have 10 out of 13 districts, cities and 82 out of 115 communes basically meet the new-style rural area criteria.

The national target programme, launched in 2010, defines 19 criteria for standard new-style rural areas, including measures to build infrastructure, improve production capacity, build public facilities, protect the landscape and environment, and promote local traditions and cultural identities.

Eye-care project brings hope to children in Binh Dinh

An agreement on cooperation in implementing a project to develop eye care for children in the central province of Binh Dinh was signed in Quy Nhon city on December 5.

Orbis International, a non-governmental organisation, and the provincial Eye Hospital and General Hospital are in charge of the project, which runs from December 1, 2014 to December 31, 2018. It aims to reduce the blindness rate and improve eyesight for children in the province and surrounding areas.

Addressing the signing ceremony, Mai Thanh Thang, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the project is expected to help address challenges in eye caring in Binh Dinh and localities will continue developing the outcomes of the project once it is completed.

Abu Raihan, Director of Orbis International’s Asia Regional Programme, said that the programme brings not only light and health to kids but also a brighter future to them.

Orbis International works on the prevention and treatment of blindness via hospital-based training programmes. Since 1982, the organisation has trained some 325,000 eye care personnel and improved eye health for over 23 million people in 92 countries all over the world.

In the coming time, it will support Vietnam in building capacity in the field with the establishment of more eye centres for children and the development of effective management models.-

Techcombank helps Quang Ninh improve public health care

The Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) on December 6 provided 100 billion VND (4.7 million USD) in support of projects to improve public health in the northern province of Quang Ninh in 2015.

The projects include the upgrading of infrastructure and the provision of medical equipment for the Bai Chay General Hospital , the building of a funeral house in Ha Long and the improvement of living standards for local people.

The assistance formed part of activities in a strategic cooperation agreement signed between the bank and the provincial People’s Committee in 2012.

Since 2012, Techcombank has donated more than 100 billion VND for the province to implement activities in the fields of economy, culture and social security.

Ten outstanding Vietnamese students receive Honda Y-E-S Award

Ten Honda motorbikes and total prize money of US$30,000 were presented to ten outstanding Vietnamese students – the winners of the 2014 Honda Y-E-S Award – at a ceremony in Hanoi on December 6.

The honourees include two from the Hanoi University of Science and Technology; five from the Technology University under the Hanoi National University; two from the University of Natural Sciences under the Hanoi National University; and one from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Science and Technology.

The prize winners were the best students selected among 114 profiles of those with high academic results and outstanding achievements in scientific studies sent to the Award’s office since it was launched in April this year.

These ten students will also have chances to win a Honda Y-E-S Plus prize worth US$10,000 if they win a post-graduate scholarship to study in Japan.

Honda YES Award is an annual prize for outstanding Vietnamese students studying at science and technology universities nationwide with the aim of fostering and developing future talents in science and technology field. After nine years of aiding Vietnamese students, the Award has received 733 entry profiles and has honoured 90 outstanding students at its annual awards ceremonies.

The Honda YES Award is implemented under the co-operation of the Honda Foundation, the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy and Strategy, Honda Vietnam Company and six partner universities. They are the Technology and Natural Science Universities under the Hanoi National University; the Hanoi Transport University and the Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City Universities of Science and Technology.

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