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Vietnam loses 1%-1.5% GDP a year to natural disasters
Natural disasters are claiming over 400 lives and causing a loss of between 1%-1.5% GDP a year for Vietnam.
Natural disaster mitigation was discussed at a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on March 29.
According to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Vietnam has suffered severe damage and deaths from many types of natural disasters in the past 20 years. About 400 people were killed and went missing and the country suffered losses of between 1%-1.5% GDP a year.
About 12 storms and tropical depressions are formed or arrive on the East Sea every year, of which five to six storms will directly affect the continents. In 1985, Storm Cecil killed 901 people and destroyed 69,000 houses in Binh Tri Thien. Storm Linda in 1997 took away the lives of nearly 3,000 people and caused damage to over 3,000 ships.
Last year, 16 storms and four tropical depressions affected the country’s waters. Two storms swept through the north and south central coasts, killing 386 people and causing VND60trn (USD2.60bn) in damage, three times higher than in previous years.
Floods and landslides also resulted in grave consequences. Five consecutive floods in late 2016 killed 129 people.
The mountainous provinces in the northern region suffered from 300 flashfloods and landslides which are becoming more severe in the past two decades. Last year, flash floods occurred in various provinces such as Son La, Hoa Binh and Quang Nam, resulting in 71 people killed and missing, and 4,109 houses were destroyed.
Drought and saltwater intrusion have also become an urgent problem, affecting over 2 million people and causing over VND15.70trn (USD634m) in damages.
The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said the disasters had become more unpredictable and severe. This can easily be observed after heavy rains and off-seasons rains. Floods are becoming more common and droughts last longer and more widespread. The South Central Coast and Southern Region have seen more storms than usual.
According to the committee, Vietnam faces more risks due to rapid but unsustainable infrastructure and economic developments.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said that they had invested in natural disaster mitigation constructions in recent the past years such as reservoirs and embankments.
“For beloved Truong Sa” fund renamed as “Fund for Vietnam sea, island”
DK1 Platform
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has decided to rename the “Vi Truong Sa than yeu” (For beloved Truong Sa) fund as “Fund for Vietnam sea, island”.
The fund was established in 2011, aiming to encourage people to look toward Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, while enhancing awareness among all sectors, localities and Vietnamese people at home and abroad of the importance of Vietnam’s seas and islands.
It has also helped bring Resolution on “Vietnam's Sea Strategy by 2020” into reality, mobilising social resources to protect the national sovereignty over sea, islands and continental shelf.
On March 12, Hanoi National Assembly deputies and the office of the Hanoi People’s Council held a fundraiser, calling on workers at the two agencies to donate a minimum of a day’s wage each to the “For beloved Truong Sa” fund to support soldiers and residents on the Truong Sa island district and DK1 Platform via the city’s working delegation trip in April.
The same day, the Hanoi chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union raised 70 million VND (more than 3,000 USD) for the fund.
In recent times, chapters of the municipal Youth Union have encouraged their members to respond to the movement.
The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee has also launched a fundraiser for the construction of a solidarity house of Vietnam’s ethnic groups in Truong Sa island district, south central Khanh Hoa province.
The solidarity house will serve as a venue for visitors from the mainland and soldiers, officials and locals in the island district. It will also be a shelter for fishermen and a cultural and sports centre for islanders.
The house is designed to have three stories with steel-reinforced cement frame to be resilient to the extreme weather conditions on the island.
The VFF expects to mobilise about 45 billion VND for the construction of the work, with the fundraising lasting from March 21 to the end of August and may be extended to September.
Sponsors can contribute to the fund through bank transfer to the VFF account number 1483201009159 at the Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam (Agirbank), Thu do branch.
Quang Binh reviews feedback collection on public services
The M-Score project, a pilot model to gather public opinions on the quality of public services at one-stop-shop offices via mobile phones, was reviewed at a recent seminar in the central province of Quang Binh.
The event was held by the provincial People’s Committee, in conjunction with the non-governmental organisation Oxfam in Vietnam and the Real Time Analysis (RTA) company.
The M-Score project began in Quang Binh in January 2016, aiming to create a channel between local authorities and residents to improve the quality of public services at the grassroots level, as well as strengthen transparency and accountability in State-run agencies.
The project has helped improve the locality’s administrative reform ability, increasing local residents’ confidence in staff working in State agencies and the State in general.
Reports at the conference said under surveys conducted by the RTA, more than 21,100 people joined interviews to score public administrative services in the locality.
At the beginning of the project, average public satisfaction score was 8.2. In 2017, the score increased remarkably, standing at between 8.7 and 9.2.
However, delays in processing applications remain common. The rate of delayed applications was 14 percent in 2016, and increased to nearly 15.4 percent in 2017.
This was one reason for reduced satisfaction in administrative procedure processing.
To save time for interviews and data collection, scoring systems have been installed in district-level one-stop-shop offices. Feedback from interviewees has been used to assess the performance of one-stop-shop offices, thus devising measures to improve the quality of public services.
Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Council Truong An Ninh stressed the model contributes to fine-tuning the performance of one-stop-shop offices, adding that the agency will enhance its coordination with departments and sectors to expand the model to the commune and ward levels, and in health care and education.
Communication campaigns to raise public awareness of the scheme will be promoted in the future, he said.
Vietnam, Cuba boost youth exchanges
CPV General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (L) and First Secretary of the PCC Central Committee and President of the Councils of State and Ministers of Cuba Raul Castro Ruz
The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) and the Young Communist League (UJC) of Cuba signed an agreement to boost cooperation activities during the State visit to Cuba from March 28-30 by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong.
First Secretary of the HCYU Central Committee Le Quoc Phong, who accompanied the Pary chief during the visit, told Vietnam News Agency that the agreement aims to educate youngsters about the friendship between Vietnam and Cuba, which was nurtured by Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro and generations of leaders of the two countries.
Vietnamese and Cuban youngsters will enhance cooperation in various fields, such as encouraging youths to engage in socio-economic development and do scientific research in the respective countries, Phong said.
The two sides will help localities in Vietnam and Cuba set up twin ties and bring more Vietnamese youngsters to Cuba and vice versa to increase their mutual understanding, he added.
In the next five years, with the support of Vietnamese and Cuban leaders, the two countries’ youngsters are expected to nurture and deepen bilateral relations, he noted.
The HCYU Central Committee has prepared some activities this year to celebrate the 45th anniversary of President Fidel Castro’s historic visit to a newly liberated area in Quang Tri, the fiercest battlefield in the anti-US war of Vietnam, in 1973, to help Vietnamese and Cuban young people learn about this event, he said.
Workshop promotes State budget management improvement
At the event
Over the last there years, Oxfam and the Budget Transparency, Accountability and Participation (BTAP) Alliance in Vietnam, through the EU-funded project, have supported their partners in the northern mountainous province of Hoa Binh and Quang Tri to perform initiatives for improving the efficiency of State budget management.
At a workshop jointly organised by the European Union office in Vietnam and Oxfam in the northern province of Vinh Phuc on March 30, Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri province’s People’s Council Nguyen Duc Dung said the application of the criteria set for defining Provincial Open Budget Index (POBI) has helped the provincial People’s Council have a scientific basis when making decisions to select public investment projects, thus ensuring ensure objectivity, publicity and transparency.
The project has also helped promote the participation of local people in evaluating and giving feedback on the quality of public investment projects and the State’s programmes in the locality, he added.
According to Nguyen Dang Anh, deputy head of the committee for economic and budget affairs under the Quang Tri province People’s Council, after a consultation with 678 local households, shortcomings in allocating funds to agro-forestry-aquaculture encouragement programmes and collective economic development were uncovered.
The province saved over 4 billion VND of State budget from cutting unnecessary items, he said.
Reports at the workshop showed that Hoa Binh and Quang Tri are supporting community groups in joining the State budget and public investment supervision.
Participants said initiatives for improving the efficiency of State budget management in localities are good lessons for relevant agencies to develop policies and measures for applying in a larger scale.
Dr. Le Dang Doanh, member of the Committee for Development Policy of the UN, stressed the need to raise transparency and accountability to better the efficiency of the corruption fight and State budget wastefulness.
Sport festival raises public awareness of autism
The vibrant sport festival is held in Bac Ninh province to raise public awareness of autism.
Nearly 1,000 parents and over 400 autistic children joined in a vibrant sport festival in the northern province of Bac Ninh on April 1.
The activity was held as part of the third Vietnam Autism Awareness Day held by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) in collaboration with the Vietnam Autism Network (VAN), the Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population and the Rubic Collaborative voluntary organisation.
VAN President Hoang Ngoc Bich said that the event aimed to raise public awareness of autism and campaign more efforts to integrate autistic children into the society.
Also, it served as a venue to share information on how to take care of autistic children as well as call for more public’s interest in autistic kids, she added.
According to Deputy Director General of the Department of Social Assistance under the MoLISA To Duc, as the number of autistic children is increasing in cities and it has become a pressing issue, the MoLISA will work to complete legal documents on people with disabilities, focusing on establishing standards to examine, evaluate and identify autistic people. They will come up with rational education and healthcare models for autistic kids, he said.
The ministry will channel more efforts to enhance communication works on autism as well as improve capacity for those who take care of autistic children.
Traditional new year festivals of Laos, Cambodia marked in HCM City
Nearly 1,000 Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian students joined in a get-together at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Law (UEL) on April 1 to celebrate the Lao Bun Pi May festival and the Cambodian Chol Chnam Thmay festival.
According to Le Hoang Minh, deputy director of the international relations unit of the city’s Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the event enabled the students to exchange and study the history of the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia relations, making significant contributions to nurturing the traditional solidarity and fruitful friendship among the youth of the three nations.
Art performances, fashion shows, traditional games, and food street display were included at the event. Particularly, the event featured Laos and Cambodia’s rituals like thread tying and water-splashing festival to wish for a year of happiness and prosperity.
The Lao and Cambodian students were impressed by the activities organised in Vietnam to mark their traditional festivals.
UEL Vice Rector Le Tuan Loc affirmed to create favourable conditions for the Lao and Cambodian students so that they can have good results at university, helping build sound solidarity and friendship among the three nations.
The Bun Pi May and Chol Chnam Thmay festivals fall on April 14 to 16, with several ritual ceremonies praying for good weather, an abundant harvest and a prosperous New Year.
Vietnam promotes images in ASEAN+3 festival in Cambodia
The Embassy of Vietnam in Cambodia and Vietnamese students in the country on April 1 participated in the third ASEAN+3 festival in Phnom Penh.
The festival was jointly held by the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia and the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
It was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh, the ambassadors of the ASEAN members and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, along with local and foreign students in Phnom Penh.
Non la (conical hat) and ao dai (traditional long dress) were introduced at the Vietnamese booth, as well as books and photos on the country and its famous tourist destinations. Vietnam’s signature dishes, including “pho” (rice noodles with beef or chicken), were served at the event.
Through the festival, the Vietnamese delegation hoped to promote the country’s culture to international friends, thus building trust and enhancing integration.
Speaking at the event, the organisers said the annual festival created opportunities for students of ASEAN and its three dialogue nations in Cambodia to meet and share their cultural characteristics.
The ASEAN+3 festival featured various traditional art performances, folk games, film screenings, and more.
Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway line begins test run on September 2
The Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway line, the first of its kind in the capital city of Hanoi, will start its test run on September 2, the project management board said on March 30.
The trial operation is expected to last between three and six months. Construction will be wrapped up in the fourth quarter of this year.
The Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway project with 12 stations and one depot area has investment of 868 million USD sourced by official development assistance loans from China. The railway project has 12 trains, including 48 carriages. Each train with four carriages can carry 1,200 passengers.
The 13 kilometre railway is set to operate trains with carrier frequency of every two minutes and a maximum speed of 80 kilometres per hour.
Construction on the project was meant to start in 2008 but was delayed until October 2011. The line was originally expected to start running in November 2013.
Can Tho: Over three tonnes of material fish released into nature
More than three tonnes of material fish were released to the wild at Ninh Kieu port of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on April 1 to honour the traditional day of Vietnam’s fishery sector.
Director of Can Tho city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Ngoc He said about 8-10 tonnes of fish were released into nature in the city each year, in a bid to recover aquatic resources.
This time, the city also stepped up communications campaign to raise public awareness to protect the resources.
In early 2018, the Department and Can Tho’s city Buddhist Sangha signed a cooperation agreement on material fish release and aquatic resource protection.
Additionally, the city’s agricultural sector also asked surveillance units to work with relevant agencies to conduct frequent inspections on seafood exploitation.
Spouses of GMS leaders learn about life of Vietnamese women in history
Wife of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Tran Nguyet Thu (second, right), accompanies wife of the Lao PM, Naly Sisoulith (second, left) and wife of the Thai PM, Naraporn Chan-o-chan (first, left) to visit the Vietnamese Women’s Museum on March 31
Spouses of leaders of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), who are in Hanoi for the sixth GMS Summit (GMS-6), visited the Vietnamese Women’s Museum in downtown Hanoi on March 31 to learn about the life and cultural heritage of Vietnamese women throughout history.
Wife of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Tran Nguyet Thu, accompanied wife of the Lao PM, Naly Sisoulith and wife of the Thai PM, Naraporn Chan-o-chan to visit the museum while their spouses are busy on the final day of the GMS-6 Summit and the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV-10) Development Triangle Summit.
The ladies were introduced about the history of the museum and told about great stories of Vietnamese women in wartime as well as in peacetime. They also learnt about the life of local women through exhibitions of roles of women in family, women in history, and women’s costumes of various ethnic minority groups.
The Thai and Lao ladies expressed their respect for the good virtues of Vietnamese women and their contribution throughout the country’s history. They also raised many questions about the uniqueness of Vietnamese women in different regions.
After their tour around the museum, the ladies enjoyed a performance of “chau van”, the ritual music and singing, part of the practices related to the Viet beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms which was inscribed on the Representative List of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.
The worshipping of the Mother Goddesses contributes to the appreciation of women and their roles in society. The Mother Goddesses include Lieu Hanh (a nymph who descended to earth, lived as a human and became a Buddhist nun) referred to as the Mother of the World, and other spirits considered legendary heroes.
The traditional practice involves daily worship and participation in ceremonies, rituals like the spirit possession ritual and festivals such as Phu Day that take place at temples dedicated to the Mother Goddesses. These activities associated with the practice help to maintain part of the community’s history, cultural heritage and identity with some aspects incorporating traditional costumes, music and dance.
Vietnam marks int’l day for mine awareness
Vietnam is among countries with serious UXO pollution and suffers from the most severe war consequences in the world - Illustrative image
A meeting was held in Hanoi March 31 in response to International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (April 4).
Held by the State Steering Committee on the National Action Programme on Settling Consequences of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), the event saw the participation of representatives from the Ministry of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), other ministries and relevant sectors as well as thousands of youngsters.
In his speech at the event, Deputy Minister of MoLISA Le Quan stressed towards the goal of resolving the landmine and UXO contamination in a sustainable manner, the Vietnamese Government has paid special attention to devising social support mechanisms and policies for victims of bombs and mines nationwide.
All bomb and mine victims across the country have been provided with health insurance cards and rehabilitation support; and joined vocational training programmes, he added.
Quan highlighted valuable assistance and efforts made by international donors and foreign non-government organisations for Vietnam in the work, saying that Vietnam hopes to continue receiving cooperation and help from the international community in the scheme.
The event included many activities such as a parade with the participation of a large number of local people, youths and students; and an exhibition featuring objects and photos on UXO pollution and danger, as well as Vietnam’s efforts in the work.
Vietnam is among countries with serious UXO pollution and suffers from the most severe war consequences in the world.
It is estimated that around 800,000 tonnes of UXO were left across the country after the war ended, mostly in the central region. More than six million hectares of land in the country is bomb-and mine-polluted, accounting for 18.82 percent of Vietnam’s total area.
At least 100,000 people have been injured and killed by bombs and mines since 1975, while the environment and natural resources have been affected.
Fallen soldiers in Gac Ma battle commemorated in Germany
An overview of a requiem - Illustrative image
The Franken Vietnamese Buddhist Cultural Centre recently held a requiem at Vinh Nghiem pagoda in Germany’s Nürnberg city to commemorate 64 soldiers who laid down their lives to defend Gac Ma (Johnson South) Reef in Vietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago on March 14, 1988.
The requiem was also designed to pray for national peace and commemorate Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed to defend national independence and territorial integrity.
Lam Quang Ngoc, a representative of the Franken Vietnamese Buddhist Cultural Centre, recalled the sacrifice of the soldiers in Gac Ma battle, during which 64 soldiers laid down their lives, 11 others were injured and three naval ships were sunk.
He affirmed that the Vietnamese community in Germany always bear in mind the soldiers’ sacrifice and are willing to join hands with overseas Vietnamese around the world to protect the home country’s sovereignty.
Earlier, a similar requiem was also held at Tu An pagoda in Germany’s Berlin capital.
Seminar seeks ways to improve education for the disabled
A seminar on connecting individuals and organisations, who provide education for the disabled in Vietnam, was co-organised in Hanoi on March 30 by the Ministry of Education and Training, and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in Vietnam.
Participants discussed the building of a connectivity network of education for the disabled, improving professional competence, and raising public awareness of eliminating discrimination against the disabled in education activities.
Chief Secretary of the Steering Committee for Educating Disabled and Poor Children Nguyen Thi Quy Suu presented a plan on educating the disabled for the 2018-2020 period with a view to improving education for the disabled and ensuring their access to quality, fair and friendly education.
During the period, at least 70 percent of disabled people at school age will access quality, fair and friendly education while at least half of managerial staff and teachers will receive training in the field.
At the same time, up to 40 percent of centrally-run cities and provinces will have support centres for integrated education development and all centrally-run cities and provinces will follow legal regulations on education for the disabled.
Last year, a number of organisations actively offered suggestions to build important projects and circulars on education for the disabled. The UNICEF, the Catholic Relief Services, the Medical Committee Netherlands – Vietnam are helping the Ministry of Education and Training improve comprehensive education for the disabled.
Caravan tour expected to promote Vietnam-Laos tourism
The caravan team in Hanoi
A caravan tour with the theme “Journey through capitals of Vietnam and Laos” ended in Hanoi on March 30 after a week, heard a press conference held in Hanoi on March 30.
Tourists departed in Hanoi on March 24, driving themselves through Son La (Vietnam), Sam Neua, Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Plain of Jars (Laos) and Nghe An province (Vietnam), before returning to the Vietnamese capital city.
Speaking at the press conference, director of travel company Hanoitourist Phung Quang Thang said the tour helps tourists learn about Vietnamese and Lao history, culture and cuisine, thus helping to popularise Vietnam’s tourism, diversifying tourist products and promoting tourism connectivity between the two countries.
The seven-day tour is available for both domestic and foreign tourists, he said.
Thang suggested the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism hold training courses for tour guides and cut immigration time at border gates in order to develop this kind of tour.
The tour was jointly organised by Hanoitourist and Laos’s Xay Mung Khun Company.
UNICEF helps HCM City build children-friendly city
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on March 30 announced the children-friendly city initiative for the 2017-2021 period to help Ho Chi Minh City build itself into a children-friendly city.
The project costs 6.3 million USD, 6 million USD of which is sourced from the UNICEF and the remaining from the State budget.
Accordingly, HCM City must build a children-friendly legal framework and a strategy on children’s rights, establish a committee on children’s rights and earmark funding for children.
UNICEF Acting Vice Chief Representative in Vietnam Friday Nwaigwe said HCM City is the 52nd city globally to launch the project, adding that under the UNICEF’s criteria, a children-friendly city is a place where children’s voice, demands, priorities and rights are incorporated into the city’s policies, programmes and decisions, ensuring that no any child is left behind.
Director of the municipal Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Le Minh Tan vowed to build a children-friendly city in the key fields of sustainable socio-economic development and environment, towards creating a safe, friendly and healthy environment to better perform children’s rights.
The project will be carried out across the city, with priority given to districts with many migrant children and outlying areas, thus improving their lives and narrowing development gap.
Photo exhibition highlights 25-year GMS cooperation
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and leaders from GMS member countries, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the World Bank (WB) participated in the event
A photo exhibition featuring the 25-year cooperation of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) was opened at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on March 30 as part of the sixth GMS Summit (GMS-6) and the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Summit on Development Triangle Area (CLV-10).
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and representative leaders from GMS member countries, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the World Bank (WB) cut the ribbon to kick off the event.
On display are 60 photos featuring the GMS member nations, namely the host Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and China, and the cooperation achievements in the region.
Among notable pictures spotlighting remarkable accomplishments of the GMS countries is the Noi Bai – Lao Cai expressway, the longest of its kind in Vietnam, launched in September 2014, as an important part of the North-South economic corridor projects aided by the ADB that brings in enormous economic values.
Since the route was put into use, it only takes three hours instead of seven hours in the past to travel from the capital city of Hanoi to the northern border province of Lao Cai.
The photo of a woman in Lounge village of Cambodia sitting to make a basket depicts vocational training for women in rural areas and building small-and-medium-sized enterprises as part of the women empowerment development project of the Cambodian government and ADB.
The picture of a traditional dance at the fifth China-Laos-Vietnam carnival cultural exhibition demonstrates the cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the three GMS countries to increase subregional connectivity.
GMS was established in 1992 as an initiative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The GMS Cooperation Programme is the most complete cooperation programme that involves Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and China’s Yunnan and Guangxi provinces.
Seminar discusses role of family medicine
A seminar discussing the role of family medicine in improving the quality of medical treatment was held in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on March 29, with the participation over 300 domestic and foreign experts and doctors.
The seminar, entitled “Enhancing quality of primary care following the principal of family medicine”, was co-organised by Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy under Hue University and the Wallonie Brussels delegation.
Assoc. Prof. Dr Luong Ngoc Khue, Director of the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s Medical Services Administration, said in 2013, the MoH approved a project to build and develop the model of family clinic in eight provinces and cities nationwide.
The country currently has 340 family clinics, including 256 public and 84 private ones. However, there is a limit of skilled personnel, infrastructure, coordinating regulations and information exchanges between those clinics and medical system, he noted.
Khue said that Vietnam needs to build a patient care database and a system of electrical medical records in family clinics nationwide. Training courses for medical personnel should be held frequently, he added, stressing the need to raise public awareness about grassroots clinics and quality of medical treatment.
Rector of the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cao Ngoc Thanh said as the world and Vietnam’s disease models have seen many changes, the family clinics and primary care following the principal of family medicine will meet the demand for comprehensive and qualified health treatment.
At the seminar, participants also discussed ways to establish coordination mechanisms for health care which optimise effects of medical treatment for senior citizens and manage acute non-communicable diseases in grassroots clinics.
Gia Lai: Pleiku city fulfils new-style rural area building target
At the ceremony to recognise Gao commune as new-style rural area held on March 30
Gao commune in Pleiku city of the Central Highlands of Gia Lai has been recognised as new-style rural area, announced at a ceremony held by the Steering Board for National Target Programme of the province on March 30.
With the recognition, all nine communes of the city, namely An Phu, Dien Phu, Bien Ho, Tra Da, ChuHDrong, Tan Son, Chu A, Ia Kenh and Gao, fulfilled total 19 criteria of new-style rural area building.
Since 2011, along with State budget and financial assistance from various projects, Pleiku has mobilised social resources for provincial infrastructure improvement. In 2017, a total of 42km of rural road was built or upgraded in all the communes.
Additionally, the rate of poor households of the nine communes saw annual reduction. There are now 347 poor households or 2.77 percent.
To meet criteria of the national target programme on building new-style rural areas, Pleiku continues to carry out a project on restructuring the agricultural sector towards sustainable development amid climate change, as well as developing large-scale fields, applying advanced technology and building new cooperatives, among others.
The national target programme on building new-style rural areas, initiated by the Vietnamese Government in 2010, sets 19 criteria on socio-economic development, politics, and defence, aiming to boost rural regions of Vietnam.
The list of criteria includes the development of infrastructure, the improvement of production capacity, environmental protection, and the promotion of cultural values.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, by February 21, 2018, there were 3,160 communes nationwide recognised as new-style rural areas, 35.4 percent of the total communes.
Vietnam News Agency steps up partnership with Prensa Latina, ACN
Deputy General Director Dinh Dang Quang and PL President Luis Enrique Gonzalez Acosta sign a cooperation agreement under the witness of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba’s Central Committee and President of the Councils of State and Ministers Raul Castro Ruz
The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Cuba’s Prensa Latina News Agency (PL) renewed their cooperation agreement in Havana on March 29.
VNA Deputy General Director Dinh Dang Quang and PL President Luis Enrique Gonzalez Acosta signed the pact, which looks to strengthen information exchanges and the sides’ traditional collaboration.
The signing ceremony took place after the talks between visiting General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba’s Central Committee and President of the Councils of State and Ministers Raul Castro Ruz.
The agreement was among nine official documents secured between Vietnamese and Cuban governments, ministries, and sectors, which were witnessed by both Party leaders.
According to the pact, the VNA and PL will exchange information in different languages based on a varieties of media platforms, with a priority given to the coverage of breaking news in Vietnam and Cuba.
The two agencies are committed to continuing to provide the best support possible for their representative offices, correspondents, and special envoys working overseas in their respective countries.
Thanks to mutual assistance between the sides in expert exchanges and printing, the VNA has improved its performance in offering domestic and foreign news services. It is planning to expand the distribution network of its Vietnam Pictorial publication in Spanish in Cuba and some Latin American countries.
The PL is developing into a multi-platform news agency and intends to cover more news about the Asia-Pacific, particularly Vietnam.
The VNA and PL vowed to boost their cooperation on par with traditional relations and special solidarity between Vietnamese and Cuban parties and people.
Also in Havana, the VNA and the Cuban News Agency (ACN) inked a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to enhance effectiveness and help information exchanges and professional assistance between the sides meet demand of the press in the modern age.
At the talks between leaders of the two agencies, ACN director Edda Fe Diz Garces reviewed the development of the ACN, with highlights given to a trend of providing more direct services for readers apart from its traditional role as official information source for other news agencies.
VNA Deputy General Director Dinh Dang Quang affirmed with similarities in functions, roles, and development orientations, the VNA and ACN hold great potential to step up engagements based on their freshly-signed MoU.
The two cooperative documents were signed as part of the ongoing State-visit to Cuba by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, which was made at the invitation of First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba’s Central Committee and President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers Raul Castro Ruz.
The visit by Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong to Cuba is the first high-level meeting between the two countries after the passing of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro Ruz in 2016, and also the Vietnamese Party chief’s first visit to the Latin-America following the 12th National Congress of the CPV the same year.
International artistes participate in Hanoi Latin Festival
The third International Latin Festival kicked off in the capital Friday with a range of activities.
The three-day event features performances by more than 50 international and local dance artistes, including salsa dancers Adrian and Anita from Uruguay and Brazil, respectively. The couple are well known for their innovative and energetic shows in more than 40 countries across the world. Other artistes include internationally recognised Bachata teachers Kiko and Christiana from Spain and Germany, respectively, the most popular Bachata couple in Germany and pioneers of this romantic dance style in the north of the country, as well as Carlos and Chloe from Australia. This new dance couple combines Carlos’ European Bachata style with Chloe’s sensual and dynamic Australian style.
Bích Ngọc, the first runner-up of Vietnam Idol 2015, along with other artistes, DJs and bands from countries such as the United States, Scotland, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia, will also participate in the event.
Bootcamps with salsa and kizomba performances as well as a two-hour kizomba master class by instructors Guiu and Borboleta from Spain will also be held.
“Professional and fast growing are the two words to describe this event. It is well organised, with many interesting performances and competitions. The entry price is also cheaper compared to other global events. Most importantly, the spirit of the festival is remarkable. I feel united with all my Salsa friends in this event. My satisfaction goes beyond my expectation,” said Ri Linh from HCM City, who participated at the festival last year.
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