The Prime Minister has given the nod to a project on gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and control for 2016-2020 with a vision towards 2030, prioritising sectors and localities experiencing the prevalence of or facing high risks of GBV.

The project aims to raise awareness, capacity and responsibility of all-level authorities, agencies and organisations concerned, and the community in the struggle against GBV, with attention paid to vulnerable groups and those likely to commit violence.

By 2020, it is expected all GVB victims will be detected and receive timely support.

The project targets the completion of mechanisms and policies on GBV prevention and control by 2030 in order to increase law enforcement and ensure that GBV prevention and control services are rolled out nationwide, gearing towards a safe, equal and violence-free environment.

Of note, a model of cities that are safe and friendly towards women and girls will be launched in a bid to ensure public safety.

National statistics show that 58 percent of married women have experienced at least one form of domestic violence in their lifetime, while 87 percent did not seek any assistance from authorities or public services.

Talent campus opens for young filmmakers

Young filmmakers have been invited to join Talent Campus, a part of the biennial Hà Nội International Film Festival 2016 (HANIFF).

The HANIFF Talent Campus brings emerging talent and seasoned film professionals together and offers them a platform to discover new horizons, find fellow filmmaking collaborators and discuss new trends and developments in cinema and media.

Veteran filmmakers from the US, South Korea and Germany will join the programme as instructors.

The HANIFF Talent Campus will run from November 1-5 and offers programmes elements for directors, cinematographers, distributors, actors and scriptwriters.

Filmmakers can take part in the Talent Campus by registering on www.haniff.vn from now to September 30.

Bac Giang targets cutting household poverty rate

The northern province of Bac Giang aims to reduce the household poverty rate by two percent each year from now to 2020, said Vu Hong Minh, Director of the provincial Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

This includes reducing the current rate of 13.93 to 11.93 percent by year’s end, while the target for the poorest districts and communes is a four percent cut.

To achieve these goals, Minh said the province would focus on raising awareness of poverty-reduction policies as well as accelerating programmes and projects.

The province wants to implement the Sustainable and Rapid Poverty-Reduction Project in Son Dong district under the government’s resolution 30a and the project on supporting infrastructure investment and sustainable poverty reduction in 36 extremely disadvantaged hamlets.

According to Minh, poverty-reduction efforts are hampered by ineffective investment and support policies and a lack of self-help from officials and people.

Bac Giang currently uses the 2011-2015 criteria to determine poverty with a rate of 7.31 percent and a near-poverty rate of 5.69 percent but the respective figures under the 2016-2020 multidimensional criteria are 13.93 percent and 8.19 percent.

The 2011-2015 criteria mainly uses income to determine poverty while the 2016-2020 includes many factors like household assets and accessibility to various services.

In the first six months of this year, Bac Giang exempted or reduced school tuition for nearly 47,000 students and granted medical cards to more than 77,000 near-poor people.

President presents gifts to wounded soldiers

President Tran Dai Quang on July 26 visited and presented gifts to sick and wounded soldiers being cared at nursing centres in northern Ha Nam province on the 69th War Invalids’ and Martyrs’ Day.

The President expressed his deep gratitude to martyrs, invalids and their families for their great contributions and precious sacrifice in the struggle to defend the country’s independence.

The President affirmed that the Party, the State and people always remember and feel grateful for the contribution and sacrifice of generations of heroic martyrs and invalids and take responsibility for taking care of these people and their families.

In other related news, Director General of the Vietnam News Agency Nguyen Duc Loi visited and handed gifts to some martyrs’ families and invalids in Trieu Phong district, central Quang Tri province.

The delegation then visited and laid wreaths at the Road 9 War Martyrs Cemetery, which is the resting place of 10,000 fallen combatants.

On the occasion, localities nationwide took activities to commemorate heroic martyrs and take care of policy beneficiaries.

Southern Hau Giang province spent nearly 4 billion VND to organise visits and present gifts to families of people who rendered service to the nation.

In Ninh Thuan province, a meeting was organised to praise 35 individuals who stood out in the national revolutionary cause.

Central Ha Tinh province set aside 5 billion VND for gifts to 5,130 families of war martyrs and invalids and 23,800 gift packages to relatives of war martyrs.

Northern Tuyen Quang province also presented 8,550 gift packages to families of martyrs and invalids.

New drama celebrates Invalids and Martyrs Day

Private drama troupe TKC will stage a solemn play today based on the life of soldiers to mark the Day for Invalids and Martyrs (July 27).

The 90-minute drama, Một Thời Để Nhớ (A Time to Remember), features many final-year students at theatre schools like Thiện Nhân, Uyên Nhi and Mai Mai.   

Directed by Trịnh Kim Chi and Xuân Tiến, it uses revolutionary songs written by well-known composers like Phạm Tuyên and Xuân Sách.   

“I’m young and have no experience of war,” Nhi of the HCM City College of Theatre and Cinematography, said.

“Therefore, I have worked hard to portray a realistic image of Vietnamese soldiers.

“Một Thời Để Nhớ is a quality play aimed at highlighting the role of Vietnamese soldiers, who devote their life to the country’s independence. I refused several contracts from film and music producers to perform a supporting role in the play.

“I hope my performance will leave an impression on my young fans, who often see me in comedy and music videos.”

The play will be staged on Sundays throughout August at TKC Theatre, 259 Hậu giang Street, District 5. Tickets are available at the venue.

Opened last year by Chi, one of the city’s favourite female theatre actors, the small theatre has a troupe consisting of young talent from art schools.

“Our shows have attracted more than 3,000 people,” Chi said.

“We plan to offer free admission to Một Thời Để Nhớ for Heroic Mothers, veterans and soldiers in Củ Chi and Bình Dương and Bà Rịa- Vũng Tàu provinces.”

Thịnh to miss AFF Cup due to injury

The national team will not have Vũ Ngọc Thịnh at the coming ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup, as the midfielder needs six months to recover from an injury.

Thịnh of Hải Phòng FC suffered a torn ligament during a match against Hoàng Anh Gia Lai on July 10. He underwent surgery on Monday in Hà Nội.

Doctors said he needed at least six months to make full recovery.

Without Thịnh, Hải Phòng struggled in V-League’s last two rounds, with the rival teams scoring six goals in two matches.

Thịnh was a member of the national team that won the AYA Bank Cup in Myanmar in May.

The squad will be summoned in late September in preparation for the AFF Cup.

Decree to rid hospitals of bad suppliers

Health departments throughout the country have been ordered to publish the winning bids for the supply of medical equipment to public hospitals.

The move aims to ensure consistent prices of medical equipment in the market, avoiding price hikes for the benefit of suppliers or hospitals, said Vũ Minh Tuấn, head of the Department of Medical Equipment and Construction under the Ministry of Health at a recent meeting in Hà Nội.

The meeting was designed to explain Decree No 36 about medical equipment management, that went into force this month, to health departments and companies supplying medical equipment.

Statistics from the Việt Nam Medical Equipment Association show that there are about 10,500 types of medical equipment in the market,  90 per cent of which is imported from countries like Japan and China. Most medical equipment used in health clinics is not checked and maintained periodically, according to the association.

Deputy Minister Nguyễn Viết Tiến said shortcomings were found in the management of medical equipment in hospitals, such as the use of substandard equipment or rare use of equipment, causing waste.

“Using substandard medical equipment is very dangerous for examining and treating patients,” he said.

Under the new decree, companies importing medical equipment must assume responsibility for its quality, preventing the smuggling of  substandard equipment or medical equipment without clear origin, he said.

According to the decree, devices implanted into the human body must be tested in clinical trials on human beings before being used.

Only then can a device be issued a registration number, which would be revoked if the device was found to cause damage.

Tuấn, head of the Department of Medical Equipment and Construction, said the decree offered a stricter legal framework to get rid of companies supplying substandard medical equipment.

HCM City surgeons to pioneer use of special dye

Doctors at the HCM City University Medical Centre are set to perform laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery using indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence for the first time in Việt Nam, the head of the hospital’s science and training department has said.

Nguyễn Hữu Thịnh said the two surgeries would be performed at the end of this month.

ICG fluorescence imaging will be used with assistance from German doctors.  

The use of ICG fluorescence, a dye, would enhance treatment outcomes of colorectal cancer surgery, Thịnh said.

“The hospital is the first unit in the country to get approval from the Ministry of Health to use ICG in colorectal cancer surgery and treatment of other diseases.

“The incidence of colorectal cancer has increased significantly in the last 10 years.

“Nearly one fourth of colorectal cancer incidence is in advanced stages.”

The HCM City University Medical Centre treats around 500-700 patients with colorectal cancer every year, few of them at early stages.

Young-onset colorectal cancer increasing

The incidence of colorectal cancer and mortality rates have been increasing among younger people in the past few years.

Patients below 50 years accounted for 15 per cent of the total number reported at the hospital every year, Thịnh who is also deputy head of the gastrointestinal surgery department, said.

In the early stages, key symptoms could go unrecognised, he said.

When young adults have symptoms like unexplained persistent rectal bleeding, anaemia and abdominal pain, they should have a thorough check, he said.

While there are no epidemiologic studies on the increasing young-onset colorectal cancer, risk factors such as unsafe food, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and diabetes are increasing.

The start of average-risk screening is generally recommended at 50 years of age, but high-risk individuals should begin earlier, Thịnh said.

In Việt Nam, colorectal cancer is the third most lethal of all cancers.

HCM City debuts first game show for physicians, health staff

The first TV game show for healthcare employees and physicians, called Đặc Nhiệm Blouse Trắng (White Blouse Special Mission), will air on HCM City Television in September.

The 11-episode series will include a writing contest about professional moments, a charity programme offering health checkups for the poor, and a “A Doctor’s Day” reality show.  

The first episode will present teams from 12 city hospitals and preventive medicine and nutrition centres. The hospitals include Chợ Rẫy, Thống Nhất, Nhân Dân, Gia Định, Từ Dũ, Hùng Vương, Thủ Đức, An Sinh, 175 hospital, and Pediatrics No 1 and No 2.

The five-member teams will be eliminated one by one until the last three compete in a head-to-head contest.

The show hopes to depict a friendly but accurate image of physicians and medical officials, and the challenges and complicated situations they face, Dr. Lê Trường Giang, chairman of the city’s Public Medicine Association, said at the show’s launching ceremony on Thursday.

The first-prize will be VNĐ150 million (US$6,700), and the first and second runner-ups VNĐ100 million and VNĐ60 million, respectively.

The show will be broadcast at 9 pm every Sunday until the end of November.

Congenital metabolic disorders caught early

A national four-year programme to improve doctors’ awareness of screening and treatment of congenital metabolic disorders among children, begun in 2014, has helped reduce the mortality rate from 50 per cent to around 10 per cent.

More than 700 obstetricians and paediatricians received specialised training through workshops in early recognition and care to save children using advanced nutrition therapies.

The project is carried out by the Department of Mothers and Children’s Health in co-operation with the National Hospital of Paediatrics and dairy company Mead Johnson Nutrition Việt Nam.

The rate of children with congenital metabolic disorders in the country is one per 500, well above the global average of 1/2,000.

According to health experts, it is a difficult disease to diagnose and develops very rapidly.

It is often diagnosed late, leading to high mortality rates among children, causing a heavy burden on families and society.

More hospitals granted ISO certification

More hospitals in Việt Nam have received ISO 15189:2012 certification after showing progress in management and ensuring quality in testing processes.

HCM City’s Chợ Rẫy Hospital yesterday was granted the international standard ISO 15189:2012 certification for tests of biochemistry, haematology and microorganisms.

In the southern region, the hospital was the first to achieve the latest standards for the ISO 15189:2012 certification, including 25 criteria on management and quality of medical laboratories.

More criteria were issued in November 2012 for ISO 15189:2012, replacing ISO 15189:2007 with 23 new criteria.

At the ceremony, Dr Phạm Xuân Đà, head of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s office in the southern region, praised the hospital’s progress in testing processes, saying it would bring the best benefits to its patients.

He said it was a model for other hospitals in the country.

Dr Nguyễn Trường Sơn, head of the hospital, said that the hospital would apply the ISO 15189:2012 standard in its molecular biology ward and ISO 9001 for other areas.

Apart from the new certification, the Chợ Rẫy Hospital’s Oncology Centre announced that it has a new total laboratory automation system called Accelerator a3600 which quickly processes laboratory tests to aid in early diagnosis of disease.

In the past, it often took two to three hours to analyse one sample. With the Accelerator a3600 modular system, the lab can process up to 3,600 samples per hour with fast, precise results.

The system, used in both pre- and post-analysis, can analyse 200 kinds of tests.

Sơn said the Accelerator’s standardised testing processes had improved health examinations and treatment.

The hospital admits about 10,000 patients daily.

Sixteen labs at hospitals in Hà Nội also received ISO 15189:2012 accreditation.

Int’l conference to discuss therapies for hepatitis

The need for multidisciplinary collaborations in the fight against viral hepatitis will be highlighted in a two-day international conference to start on July 30 at 272 Convention Centre in HCM City’s District 3.

The conference, with the theme “Dedicated to Viral Hepatitis Initiatives in Việt Nam”, will discuss the latest advanced therapies for viral hepatitis.

The conference was organised by the Việt Nam Viral Hepatitis Alliance, which is part of World Hepatitis Alliance, a non-profit NGO based in the US, as well as other associations and agencies.

The application of IT and social medicine in viral hepatitis management will also be discussed.

According to the Việt Nam Viral Hepatitis Alliance, between 8 and 25 per cent of the country’s 92.5 million people are infected with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and 2.5-4.1 per cent with hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Experts inspect Zika prevention measures in localities

Eight inspection teams from the Ministry of Health (MoH) have checked Zika virus disease and dengue fever prevention and control measures in 16 provinces and cities, the Preventive Medicines Centre said today.

The provinces and cities included Hà Nội, Thanh Hóa, Đà Nẵng and Thừa Thiên-Huế, besides HCM City, Bình Dương and Đắk Lắk.

The inspection showed that most localities were well-prepared and had plans to prevent the outbreak of Zika and dengue fever.

People’s committees at different levels have instructed concerned organisations to participate in the work.

The local health sector has strictly followed the MoH’s professional guidance about disease prevention.

The inspection teams asked several provinces and cities that did not conduct any campaign to eradicate mosquito larvae, such as Hải Phòng and Thanh Hóa, to immediately do so.

The inspectors provided more guidance to provinces and cities in preventing and controlling diseases, and asked them to improve awareness via media to give people more information about the diseases.

Suspected Zika cases should be tested, and medical stations must prepare enough beds, medicines and other infrastructure to be ready to receive patients.

More training should be given to medical workers at the grassroots level, and to the task forces in case an epidemic breaks out.

Earlier, HCM City and the central Khánh Hòa Province saw two Zika cases. Both localities announced the recovery of the patients on April 22 this year. Since then, the country has not seen any more Zika cases.

Zika is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes. People affected by Zika can have symptoms such as mild fever, skin rash, conjunctivitis and muscle and joint pain, besides general malaise or headache. These symptoms normally last for two to seven days. There is scientific consensus that Zika can cause microcephaly and the Guillain-Barré syndrome. Links to other neurological complications are also being investigated, according to the World Health Organisation.

Ha Giang, Thanh Hoa exhibitions highlights VN’s island sovereignty

Maps and documentaries affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes are on display in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang and the north-central province of Thanh Hoa during exhibitions that opened on July 26.

At the Ha Giang provincial library, nearly 100 maps collected in and outside the country, together with numerous documents and items on show at the event, provide historic evidence and a legal basis proving Vietnam’s sovereignty over the two archipelagoes.

Notably, many documents are written in Han-Nom (Chinese-transcribed Vietnamese), Vietnamese and French, which were published by Vietnam’s feudal courts, and the French administration in Indochina from the 17th and early 18th century.

Administrative documents issued by the Republic of Vietnam in the south, during the 1954-1975 period and displayed at the event, also affirm the continuous management by Vietnam over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

The exhibition includes a collection of 65 maps proving Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, together with a collection of six “Atlas Universel” editions compiled by Belgian cartographer Philippe Vandermaelen in 1827.

A further four map collections and 30 other maps released by Chinese administrations through various historical periods also show that China has never practiced any management activities over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa.

The event, jointly held by the Ministry of Information and Communications and the provincial People’s Committee, is the 64 th of its kind organised since earlier this year, in 44 localities, 10 islands and 10 armed force units. It aims to raise public awareness, especially among the youth, of safeguarding sovereignty over the nation’s seas and islands.

The exhibition will run until July 30.

Meanwhile at the Thanh Hoa provincial Exhibition-Fair and Advertisement Centre, nearly 3,000 materials and documents feature the Party’s guidelines, and the State’s policies and law relating to the national strategy to defend the country in the new circumstances and assert the country’s indisputable sovereignty over its islands and seas.

The exhibition will run through to July 31.

Martyrs’ remains found in Cambodia laid to rest

A solemn memorial service and burial ceremony for 351 sets of remains of revolutionary Vietnamese martyrs was organised yesterday at 82 Hill Martyrs Cemetery in the southeast province of Tây Ninh, which borders Việt Nam and Cambodia.

Of the number of volunteer revolutionaries, 344 sacrificed their lives on the Cambodian battlefield.

At the ceremony, Nguyễn Thanh Ngọc, deputy chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the Party Committee, authorities and the public had co-operated since 2000 with Cambodia to look for the remains and repatriate them back to the province.

About 3,881 sets of remains have been buried at the 82 Hill Martyrs Cemetery.  

A ceremony for 28 sets of remains of people who died in Cambodia was also held yesterday at Bình Phước Province’s martyrs cemetery.

There are a total of 2,552 sets of remains buried at the cemetery, including 2,263 repatriated from Cambodia.

During the 2015-2016 dry season, 748 sets of remains were sought in Cambodia, according to the Ministry of Defense.

Cà Mau to prioritise key traffic projects

The traffic sector would prioritise projects of overriding importance to further the province’s socio-economic development, a local official said.

Deputy Head of the southernmost Cà Mau Province’s transport department, Lê Thành Huấn, said, that thanks to limited financial resources, the sector would focus on key projects in accordance with the province’s socio-economic master plan to 2020 with a vision to 2030 approved by the government.

Accordingly, the province will accord priority to projects such as a major traffic axis connecting the east and west of the province; upgrade and expand the Tắc Thủ - Rạch Ráng - Sông Ðốc traffic route, the U Minh - Khánh Hội road, and Năm Căn - Hàng Vịnh road; in addition to connecting traffic routes with highways running through Cà Mau City, and build the Southwest ring road, among others.

Also, the province will speed up traffic and irrigation projects along the West Sea dyke and complete the road-bed for the dyke system along the East Sea.

The province will proceed with projects using local funds to build a number of key bridges, such as the Bạch Ngưu Bridge in Thới Bình District, and the Nhị Nguyệt and Xóm Ruộng bridges along the Lương Thế Trân-Đầm Dơi line.

To facilitate the inland waterway management and orientation for socio-economic development, defence and security, the provincial People’s Committee recently approved a detailed plan for the local inland waterway to 2020 with a direction to 2030, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Cà Mau targets the completion of 1,800km of rural traffic routes, costing an estimated VNĐ5 trillion (US$220 million), with an aim to gradually complete the rural traffic infrastructure system.

To that end, the province would seek financial assistance from the State and mobilise other sources from the public, Huấn said.

"The province will make full use of funding sources to carry out key traffic projects and mobilise resources to synchronise the local infrastructure, besides making efforts to build new-style rural areas and respond to climate change,” Huấn said.

“First and foremost, we will call for investment into projects implemented under BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer), PPP (Public-Private Partnership), and BT (Build-Transfer) forms,” he said.

Over the past years, Cà Mau has built and upgraded nearly 1,600 bridges with total investment of more than VNĐ307 billion ($14 million), creating a smooth traffic network across the province. At the same time, the province has concretised 2,000km of rural roads.

Quang Nam chairman: Deforestation seriously breaks law

Dinh Van Thu, chairman of Quang Nam Province, has said the deforestation of Fokienia trees in Nam Song Bung protected forest in Nam Giang District has seriously violated the law and showed signs of conspiracy among government agencies and officers.

The deforestation near the border area with Laos has stoked great public concern, Thu said in a report sent to the Prime Minister a couple of days after the Government leader told the Ministry of Public Security to collaborate with the Ministry of National Defense and the central province to investigate the deforestation of Fokienia, which is in the Vietnam Red Data Book of endangered species.

Nguyen Hong Quang, office manager of the Quang Nam People’s Committee, was quoted by Dan Tri newspaper as confirming what Thu said in the report.

Thu told the province’s police chief to mobilize forces to probe the case and the provincial Department of Foreign Affairs to ask the authorities of neighboring Laos’ Sekong Province over the investigation to quickly find violators.

Thu ordered heavy sanctions against violators, including heads of local agencies found involved in the case.

Thu also called for border checkpoints to facilitate police to handle the case and relevant agencies to make reports on their responsibilities for the deforestation.

Three officers at Dac Oc border checkpoint in Nam Giang District have been suspended. They are lieutenant-colonel Nguyen Tan Lac, head of the checkpoint, lieutenant-colonel Le Xuan Chinh, deputy head of the checkpoint, and lieutenant-colonel Do Hoanh Minh.

Le Trung Thinh, the customs chief at Nam Giang border gate, was also suspended last Wednesday.

A Vietnam-Cuba friendship exchange was held in the northern port city of Hai Phong on July 26, as part of activities to mark the 63rd anniversary of the assault on the Moncada Barracks (July 26, 1953 – July 26, 2016).

The event was co-organised by the Cuban Embassy in Hanoi, the Vietnam - Cuba Friendship Association and the Hai Phong municipal People's Committee.

At the meeting, the Cuban Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam, Liurka Rodriguez Barrios, reviewed historic moments, including the attack on the Moncada Barracks on July 26, 1953, which kick-started the Cuban Revolution. She stressed that the attack on the Moncada Barracks led to the victory of the Cuban armed forces against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.

She also recalled the two countries’ traditional friendship that had been nurtured by late President Ho Chi Minh and leader Fidel Castro.

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of Hai Phong municipal People's Committee said that the people of Hai Phong in particular and Vietnamese people in general always remember and are grateful for Cuba’s valuable support for Vietnam’s past struggle for national liberation as well as its current national construction and defence.

Monument to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in Cambodia launched

A ceremony to inaugurate a memorial monument dedicated to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers, who fell at Battlefield 479 in Cambodia, was held along with a requiem for them at Bo De pagoda in Long Bien district, Hanoi on July 27.

Hosted by the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA), the event is part of activities to mark the the 69th War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day.

Speaking at the event, head of the VCFA’s Association of Battlefield 479 former volunteer soldiers in Hanoi Le Cuong said that the work will serve as a place for the people to learn about patriotism and the spirit for international duty of the Vietnamese people and army, thus further strengthening the Vietnam-Cambodia relations.

Constructed with a total investment of 700 million VND on an area of 40 sq.m at Bo De pagoda, the work is a tribute to martyrs who laid down for the national liberation and defence cause and during performing international duties.

On the occasion, representatives from the VCFA and the VCFA’s Association of Battlefield 479 former volunteer soldiers in Hanoi presented gift packages to families of wounded soldiers and martyrs in Hanoi.

The same day, a delegation of representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia and those from the Vietnamese community and businesses in the country led by Ambassador Thach Du laid wreaths in commemoration of Vietnamese volunteer combatants at their monument in Phnom Penh.

Dengue fever danger comes back nationwide

Dengue fever is spreading rapidly in Việt Nam with 14 fatalities over the past seven months, the Ministry of Health said.

More than 44,800 patients were reportedly infected in 46 provinces and cities since January, increasing 2.6 times over the same period last year.

In July alone, the number of cases has reached 5,500 with two disease-related fatalities.

Dengue fever is on the rise during rainy season with a majority of the cases reported in the central and southern region.

The health ministry said that there were four types of dengue fever virus in Việt Nam. Those who were previously infected might still be susceptible to the virus.

The ministry warned that everyone should fully cover water containers to prevent mosquitoes laying eggs, whilst taking measures to kill mosquito larvae, cleaning up houses and discarding leftovers.

They should also use mosquito nets while sleeping and collaborate with the health sector to spray anti-mosquito chemicals.

Those who present symptoms of fever and red spots on the skin must be sent to health facilities and not to take medicines without prescription, especially antibiotics, the ministry said.

Incense offered at Laos-Vietnam martyr cemetery in Laos

A delegation of Vietnamese and Lao people on July 27 visited the Vietnam - Laos coalition martyr cemetery in Keun village, Vientiane province, to offer incense to the heroic martyrs on the occasion of the 69 th War Invalid and Martyrs’ Day of Vietnam (July 27).

Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Manh Hung called on the young generations of the two nations to stay united to continue consolidating the special relationship between the two countries.

The joint force of Vietnamese – Lao soldiers on January 23, 1946, simultaneously attacked the Keun group of fortresses of the French troops in Keun village, Thoulakhom district, Vientiane province, 70km to the north of the Lao capital of Vientiane.

Twenty-six soldiers of the Vietnamese soldiers and two others of Laos laid down their lives at the battle.

The cemetery has become a historical relic and tourist site in memory of the heroic Vietnamese and Lao martyrs who died for independence and liberation of Laos.

More war martyrs identified with DNA tests

The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) on July 26 announced the DNA test results verifying 99 war martyrs who died in the​ field of jars in the Lao province of Xieng Khouang.

This is the fourth batch of war martyrs whose names were known owing to DNA tests. The first, second and third DNA tests together identified 143 war martyrs.

In 2012, the national liaison board for families of volunteer soldiers and military experts who died in the jar fields in Xieng Khoang submitted a request for forensic tests on 1,179 remains of volunteer soldiers and military experts died in Xieng Khoang. The remains were repatriated and reburied in the Vietnam-Laos Friendship War Martyrs Cemetery in Anh Son district, central Nghe An province.

Between November 29, 2012 and January 5, 2013, forensic workers had collected DNA samples taken from 1,804 remains of volunteer soldiers and military experts at the Vietnam-Laos Friendship War Martyrs Cemetery and analysed 696 set of remains. The DNA work will continue on the rest of remains in a bid to return the correct names to the martyrs.

At the ceremony, MoLISA Deputy Minister Doan Mau Diep said the DNA tests is a practical work of paying respect to those who died for the nation-building cause and for international missions as well.

There are more than 1 million martyrs laid to rest in 3,077 war cemeteries across Vietnam, of which over 300,000 remains have yet to be fully identified.

An estimated 200,000 martyrs, including volunteer soldiers and experts who died in Laos and Cambodia, have yet to be found.

Dao Ngoc Loi, Deputy Head of the Department of National Devotees, said the project to identify the remains of unknown martyrs has been carried out since 2011.

The MoLISA has been coordinating with ministries and sectors to complete the database on martyrs and cemeteries with a view of identifying around 20 percent of the remains of unknown martyrs by 2020.

Monument to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in Cambodia launched

A ceremony to inaugurate a memorial monument dedicated to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers, who fell at Battlefield 479 in Cambodia, was held along with a requiem for them at Bo De pagoda in Long Bien district, Hanoi on July 27.

Hosted by the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA), the event is part of activities to mark the the 69th War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day.

Speaking at the event, head of the VCFA’s Association of Battlefield 479 former volunteer soldiers in Hanoi Le Cuong said that the work will serve as a place for the people to learn about patriotism and the spirit for international duty of the Vietnamese people and army, thus further strengthening the Vietnam-Cambodia relations.

Constructed with a total investment of 700 million VND on an area of 40 sq.m at Bo De pagoda, the work is a tribute to martyrs who laid down for the national liberation and defence cause and during performing international duties.

On the occasion, representatives from the VCFA and the VCFA’s Association of Battlefield 479 former volunteer soldiers in Hanoi presented gift packages to families of wounded soldiers and martyrs in Hanoi.

The same day, a delegation of representatives from the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia and those from the Vietnamese community and businesses in the country led by Ambassador Thach Du laid wreaths in commemoration of Vietnamese volunteer combatants at their monument in Phnom Penh.

Rural clean water programme to be expanded

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the World Bank (WB) held a workshop on expanding the programme on sanitation and clean rural water in the Central Highlands and the south central region.

The workshop aims to expand the programme to seven provinces – Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan.

This is the third area to benefit from the programme after the northwestern and northeastern regions.

The WB committed to give Vietnam 200 million USD to build facilities and raise awareness of accessibility to clean water and sanitary toilets.

Pham S, Vice Chairman of the Lam Dong Provincial People’s Committee, said the province is accelerating programmes of supplying clean water and building sanitary toilets.

Currently, the coverage rate of sanitary toilets in the Central Highlands, and Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces ranges from 43 to 85 percent. Gia Lai has the lowest rate.

Vietnam has around 20 million people using sub-standard toilets, which has been causing losses of two million USD per day.

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