Experts call for healthy diet

Nguyễn Thị Lâm from the National Institute of Nutrition shares her knowledge of using dietary supplements, saying that people should only use pills containing natural ingredients. 

Experts convened in Hà Nội recently to discuss the importance of controlling weight at a workshop on healthy lifestyles and diets.

Obesity is nothing new and people who are overweight or obese often have health problems that may increase the risk of heart disease. 

Từ Ngữ, secretary general of the Việt Nam Nutrition Association, said the rate of obesity had been increasing in Việt Nam, and warned of the development of chronic diseases within the community.

“The rate of obesity (Body Mass Index over 23) was 16.3 per cent based on a survey of 17,000 people aged 25-64 conducted nationwide last year,” he said.

"The number of overweight children and teenagers has increased due to the high consumption of fastfood, the use of electronic devices (smartphones and ipads) and a lazy lifestyle."

The demand for losing weight has increased at the same time with people becoming more aware of the risk of diseases and wanting to look more attractive. There are numerous methods to lose weight such 

as taking supplements, weight loss pills, diets, exeercise or combining these methods at the same time.

However, experts also warned of the harmful effect of losing weight loss in the wrong way.

“Our diets and lifestyles may not effect tomorrow, but in later years we may see the impacts on our health,” said Ngữ.

“Diets should be combined with exercise to help us stay healthy. I often eat at home, say ‘no’ to industrial food, and consume vegetables first at every meal.”

Ngữ stressed that lifestyle was particularly important within the family because parents could set an example for their children.

If the parents are overweight and have unhealthy habits, the children have a higher risk of being obese.

Marathon runner and cardiologist Đinh Linh pointed out the side effects of low-calorie (low carb or no carb) diets which have become popular in Việt Nam in recent years.

“If you are on a low-calorie diet, then you’re be restricting yourself to certain types of foods, which won’t allow you to get enough vitamins and minerals,” he said.

“These types of diets may cause rapid weight loss, but most of it is water and muscle mass, not fat, which is what you want to lose. Plus, you probably won’t be able to keep the weight off. Weight loss from 

low-calorie diets can cause serious health problems among teenagers, such as bad breath, diarrhea and even hair loss.”

Linh shared this on his Fanpage from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress held in August, pointing out that low-carb diets may not be healthy in the long run. He stressed that it should not be 

considered as a lifestyle.

Nguyễn Thị Lâm, vice director of the National Institute of Nutrition, shared her knowledge about the use of dietary supplements, adding that people should only use herbal remedies.

“Using supplements where necessary and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is an effective way to keep fit and strong,” she said.

“If you skip a meal to lose weight, then you may end up overeating at your next meal to make up for those missing calories,” she said.

Nguyễn Kiều Anh, CEO of a cosmetics brand, shared her own story about putting on 20kg after giving birth. She was tired due to the massive weight gain, and even visited hospitals abroad to find a way to 

lose weight.

Having learned from the experience, she started working with domestic medical companies to produce supplements for Vietnamese people.

“Việt Nam is rich in herbs which are good for the health, so I think we don’t have to go far to find them. Supplements with natural ingredients such as lotus leaves, bitter melon and raspberries have been 

certified by the Ministry of Health and are safe and effective.”

Lâm explained that Vietnamese people are familiar with these ingredients because they have been used in traditional medicine for many years. She also expressed her concern that many uncertified dietary 

supplements are now widely available on Facebook with eye-catching advertisements.

“Weight loss should be a long-term process, not rushed,” she said. “We recommend that a healthy lifestyle is the most sustainable method to control weight.”

The conference was organised ahead of World Obesity Day (October 11) which aims to promote practical solutions to end the global obesity crisis.

Police investigate fire near National Children’s Hospital

The damage caused by the fire on September 17 near the National Children’s Hospital in Hà Nôi.

Capital’s Ba Đình District Police have started a criminal investigation into a fire near National Children’s Hospital that killed two people and damaged 20 houses on September 17.

Head of the district’s police Colonel Nguyễn Trọng Thái said there may have been fire safety violations involved in the case.

The fire broke out at about 5pm due to a suspected electrical fault on a circuit between the first and second floors of a rental house owned by Nguyễn Thế Hiệp, 71 years old. The fire spread quickly, damaging 20 houses and affecting 99 people.

On September 21, two skulls were found under a collapsed iron frame beneath the rubble. On Monday this week, police confirmed the victims were a couple who rented a room from Hiệp so they could be close to their sick baby who is being treated at the National Children’s Hospital.

Hiệp has been renting out cheap rooms for patients and caregivers for 20 years for about VNĐ15,000 (US$0.64) per night.

Local authorities have donated VNĐ263 million ($11,300 ) to families hit by the fire and VNĐ96 million ($4,100) to the next of kin.

The baby who lost her parents is still being treated at the hospital. Her treatment costs are covered by health insurance and the hospital has pledged to pay for any additional expenses. 

The Xuân Cảnh water station has failed to ensure a clean water supply for 248 households in the central coastal province of Phú Yên’s Xuân Cảnh Commune. — Photo congluan.vn

Nearly 200 households in the central coastal province of Phú Yên’s Xuân Cảnh Commune have been living without clean water despite the construction of a water supply system several years ago.

The system was completed in 2016 at a cost of over VNĐ6.8 billion (US$291,000). However, it has failed to ensure sufficient clean water for 248 households. Many households in the commune complain that water is only pumped into their houses once every three days.

According to residents in Xuân Cảnh Commune, the station should be drawing water from two underground wells, but only one had the capacity to cope with the demand.

Nguyễn Thị Hồng Khói, a resident in Xuân Cảnh Commune’s Hòa Mỹ Village, said her family had not had any clean water since the beginning of August.

Due to severe water shortages, only households located at the start of the pipelines had access, she said.

They have been forced to use water from local wells despite of the foul smell and pollution because it costs too much to buy clean water.

Lê Văn Lương, a staff member at the water station in Xuân Cảnh, said even during the rainy season, the station couldn’t meet the demands of local residents because the machines were often out of order and there was no money to repair them.

“We try our best to provide water for residents but the pumps do not work,” he told Vietnam News Agency.

“If we had the budget to install an additional pump and new wells, we could solve the water shortage," he said, adding that the price of water in other localities was ten times more than usual.

Huỳnh Lê Tuấn, deputy chairman of Xuân Cảnh Commune’ People’s Committee, blamed the situation on budget difficulties and limited staff capacity.

He also said that local authorities had asked the provincial Centre for Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation to take over the project so that pipes and pumping stations are upgraded to meet local needs, especially in the dry season. 

Hanoi continues to take action against dengue fever

A worker fumigates an area to prevent mosquitoes

Hanoi has continued to apply measures to prevent and control the spread of common diseases, especially dengue fever which is currently in its peak season.

As part of efforts to guard against the outbreak of disease, the city’s steering committee on epidemic prevention and control has directed districts and towns to strengthen measures against dengue fever and closely manage any new cases.

The committee asked localities across the city to build plans to clean up the environment, destroy mosquito larvae and spray anti-mosquito chemicals, while mobilising locals to cooperate with authorised agencies in the efforts.

At the same time, the city has strengthened communications among the community on measures to prevent dengue fever.

The municipal Department of Health reported 955 dengue fever cases so far this year in 261 communes, wards, and townships across 30 districts, a sharp drop of 96.8 percent compared to the same period in 2017. 

The department clarified that from September 17-23, the city recorded 136 dengue fever cases, adding that the disease’s peak spreading season spans from September to November.

Meanwhile, drastic measures against the disease have been carried out across the city, especially the high-risk districts of Cau Giay, Dong Da, Hoang Mai, and Nam Tu Liem.

Also during September 17-23, Hanoi recorded 12 measles cases and 46 people suffering from hand-foot-and-mouth disease. So far this year, the city has seen 389 measles cases and 1,586 hand-foot-and-mouth disease patients across 30 districts, however no major outbreak was recorded. 

Workshop discusses MEMS, IoT application in Vietnam

A forum on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and sensor systems, themed “MEMS/Internet of Things (IoT) for a safe and friendly city” was held in Ho Chi Minh City on September 26. 

Jointly hosted by the Research Laboratories of Saigon High-Tech Park (SHTP Labs), the the Centre for Innovative Materials and Architectures at the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, and the Japanese Society for Precision Engineering, the event is part of the MEMS Forum 2018. 

At the event, prestigious experts, engineers, and scientists working in the MEMS field of Vietnam, as well as those from Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Spain, and Australia shared experiences in developing and applying MEMS technology, discussing measures to enhance scientific cooperation and trade links in the sphere in HCM City and Vietnam in general. 

Associate Professor Ph.D Le Hoai Quoc, Director of the SHTP, said the MEMS programme aims to build networks and connect resources abroad, thus popularising policies for attracting investment in MEMS tech; as well as developing a number of strategic MEMS-applied products. 

He added that the second MEMS Forum with the theme “Grab the trend, Nurture Creations” will be held on September 28, focusing on measures to build and develop a welcoming environment for the MEMS industry. 

Professor Susumu Sugiyama from Japan’s Ritsumeikan University said that MEMS and IoT have contributed to solving concrete issues related to the development of smart urban areas in HCM City towards realising sustainable socio-economic development targets.

The forum aims to build a common knowledge base and a reliable source of information, thus ensuring the feasibility and importance of building MEMS infrastructure, which will serve as a catalyst to create high-quality commercial products.

Along with the forum, exhibitions will also be held to introduce achievements in researching and applying MEMS in Vietnamese research institutes and enterprises, as well as displaying MEMS-related commercial products. 

Drug smugglers caught in Son La

The arrested drug traffickers in Son La province 

Three drug traffickers were arrested in the northern mountainous province of Son La on September 27.

They are Hang A Giong, born in 1980 and Hang A Ho, born in 1984, both residing in Keo Hom village in the province’s Muong La district, along with Hang A Ly, born in 1989, living in Mao village of the same district.

Police in Muong La and Mai Son districts of the province, in cooperation with the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security and the provincial customs force caught red-handed those three when they were transporting drugs in Chang village, Muong Chum commune of Muong La district.

Authorised agencies seized 10 bricks of heroin, four mobile phones, two motorbikes and other related exhibits.

The case is under further investigation.

Earlier, the border guard force of the central province of Quang Tri and Lao authorised agencies have arrested drug smugglers from Laos, seizing 200,000 methamphetamine pills.

On September 17, in a village in Muong Phin district of Laos’ Savannakhet province, the Quang Tri border guard and local security forces arrested two men who were born in 1984 and 1976, for possession and transportation of drugs. Both are residing in Khammouane province of Laos.

Communication works crucial to promoting urban railway’s role: official

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway 

Communication works should be carried out in an effective manner to raise public awareness of the important role of the urban railway to the city’s development, according to Chairman of the Hanoi Railway One Member Limited Company Vu Hong Truong.

At a talk held in Hanoi on September 26 as part of the “media support for Hanoi urban railway” project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Truong said that railway has been billed as the backbone of the transport system in large urban areas in the world. 

Developing urban railway system in Hanoi is an urgent issue as the city is facing serious traffic congestion and environmental pollution, he stressed.

Standing Deputy Head of the Hanoi Municipal Party Committee’s Commission for Education and Popularisation Pham Thanh Hoc said that the Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway, the first of its kind in Hanoi, began trial run on September 20 and is expected start operation before the Lunar New Year holiday 2019. 

It has drawn attention from the public who are interested in the railway’s operation and connection to other means of public transportation, he added.

Regarding human resources for the railway route, Truong said that 80 percent of the workers received training at Tokyo Metro and Beijing Metro, adding only qualified labourers are allowed to serve the project.

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway will operate 144 trains per day, and each can carry up to 1,000 passengers during rush hours, Truong underlined, adding that the company has worked out plan to arrange bus stops and other means of public transportation along the railway line, helping transport railway passengers to and from other areas of the city.

The official also said that the fares will be 3 percent higher than those of normal buses.

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong elevated railway in the capital cityi began a trial run on September 20 morning. According to the project’s management board, the railway will be tested for 3-6 months until it is ready for official operation.

Since August, the general contractor has carried out tests on equipment, such as checking the power supply, information and signal systems as well as running each train, said the project management board. The move aims to ensure that the entire project has achieved the technical standards as designed, it said, adding that the inspection has been completed.

The railway system is being trialed at night, running at full load with the operation of stations and passenger service facilities. All the 13 trains are put into operation simultaneously. Trains start from Yen Nghia station in Ha Dong district to Cat Linh station in Dong Da district and stop at each station for one minute.

During the early stage of the trial, the trains run every 10-12 minutes at average speeds of 30-35km per hour. In the commercial exploitation period, the time gap between two trips will be gradually reduced to five minutes as designed.

The railway line stretches over 13km, linking Cat Linh street in Dong Da district in Hanoi downtown with Yen Nghia bus station in Ha Dong district. It includes 12 stations and a depot at Phu Luong ward in Ha Dong district.

Conference discusses legal framework to protect transgender people

Vietnamese transgender Nguyen Huong Giang

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) community in Vietnam has faced legal barriers as the law currently only recognises two genders, without any acknowledgement of other gender identifications or of same-sex marriage, said Dinh Thi Thu Thuy, head of the Department of Law under the Ministry of Health.

Addressing a conference in Hanoi on September 26, Thuy noted that Vietnam is home to some 300,000-500,000 transgender people. In the face of oppressive social, cultural, and judicial difficulties, they are considered a vulnerable group. 

Transgender people often encounter discrimination and rejection from society and their families, and are given fewer opportunities to access employment and healthcare services, she noted. Even when these institutions are available, the experience can often be isolating and traumatic. 

Thuy underlined that sexual abuse and harassment against the transgender community is particularly high, with 23 percent of those interviewed admitting that they had been forced to have sex with others, and another 16 percent having suffered from sexual violence. At the same time, 83 percent had experienced humiliation and degradation for being transgender. 

Nguyen Kim Dung, manager of a transgender support programme at the Centre for Supporting Community Development, said that currently, transgender surgery procedures are not widely available to the community due to their excessive costs.

The building of the law on transgender confirmation aims to improve living conditions and health of the community by observing their righta to live by their true gender, she said. 

The issuance of the law with regulations, in line with the globally progressive trend, is the wish of not only transgender people, but also relevant service providers, as well as the whole community, said Dung, adding that once the legal corridor for transgender people is built, they will have chance a better chance of living equally with access rights to marriage and happiness in a society that recognises them.

At the conference, participants highlighted just some of the many difficulties, obstacles, and barriers facing the transgender community and discrimination against them. 

They also agreed on the need to build a law on gender transitioning and confirmation, while discussing recommendations from the transgender community towards the building of a legal corridor and legal recognition.

Quang Tri develops mangrove forests

Mangrove trees are planted in the mouth of the Thach Han River in Quang Tri province

The central province of Quang Tri is focusing on protecting and developing coastal and estuary mangrove forests in order to safeguard dykes, production land, and residential areas amid negative impacts of climate change.

Since 2009, with nearly 20 billion VND from the national target programme on dyke upgrading and protection, residents in Trieu Phuoc commune, Trieu Phong district have planted more than 40 hectares of mangrove forests around a 5-km sea dyke.

After nearly 10 years, the mangrove forests in Trieu Phuc are now developing well, creating a corridor protecting the sea dyke and people’s life.

Nguyen Cong Khang, 57, a local resident, said the mangrove forests play a very important role in safeguarding the sea dyke, especially in the rainy season.  They also help improve the water environment in aquaculture farms.

From the success in Trieu Phuoc commune, Quang Tri province has been expanding the model to many other localities in coastal and estuary areas. For example, Gio Viet commune in Gio Linh district has developed a community-based model to protect nearly 4.5 hectares of mangrove forests. 

Also in the commune, the Quang Tri Centre for Environmental Monitoring and Technology has implemented a project to restore the environment and sustainably develop the mangrove forest ecosystem, with the planting of nearly 2.5 hectares of mangrove forests.

To deal with climate change, between 2015-2020, the province has been carrying out a project to recover and sustainably develop the mangrove forest ecosystem in combination with sustainable livelihoods, planting close to 65 hectares of mangrove forests in Ben Hai and Thach Han estuary areas. 

Together with mangrove forest protection and development, Quang Tri has also paid attention to safeguarding about 1,600 hectares of natural forests and more than 9,250 hectares of coastal forests in order to minimise coastal erosion and impacts of flood tides.

Hà Nội triumph at national fencing champs

The National Fencing Championship’s organising board gives awards to the winners. 

Hà Nội triumphed at the National Fencing Championship which concluded in the northern province of Hải Dương on Tuesday.

The team secured six golds, three silvers and three bronzes. HCM City came second with two golds, one silver and three bronzes, while Bắc Ninh finished third with one gold, four silvers and six bronzes.

The four-day event featured more than 100 fencers from seven teams nationwide, competing in men’s and women’s singles and teams in foil, epee and sabre events.

The event, organised by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, aimed to select outstanding athletes for the national team to compete in upcoming international tournaments.