Bird flu prevention activities reviewed

The Vietnamese Government, in coordination with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), held a seminar in Hanoi on October 7 to review a joint cooperation program on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) prevention, the virus sometimes known as avian flu, and more commonly as bird flu.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong said that the seminar not only reviewed achievements in prevention but also hoped to receive more support from UN agencies in the near future.

The project on HPAI prevention and control basically achieved the set targets, such as supporting the formulation of plans, policies and strategies for the veterinary sector; evaluating impacts of culling poultry on the environment; controlling epidemics; assisting vaccination; and monitoring quarantine and transportation. In addition, the project helped analysis, evaluation and mitigation of risks, as well as strengthening safe husbandry techniques and raising public awareness of epidemic prevention.

A representative for UN agencies affirmed that Vietnam made great efforts in curbing the spread of the dangerous H5N1 strain and obtained solid results which convinced the UN to continue to support the country in the future.

The joint program between Vietnam and UN agencies on HPAI prevention and control was designed to provide urgent support to help contain the virus and the H5N1 strain. Accordingly, the first phase, implemented from October 2005 to July 2006, was completed and obtained most set targets. The second phase, from 2007-2011, supports the Program to Integrated National Action Plans for Avian and Human Influenza. Total cost for the program is US$25 million, including US$18 million for the second phase.

Renewable energy fair bound for Hanoi next March

Modern technologies, adequate Government incentives and reasonable production costs will help facilitate the development of renewable energy in Vietnam.

Deputy Head of the National Agency for Science and Technology Information Le Thi Khanh Van made the statement during a press conference in Hanoi on October 6.

Despite the country's huge potential for renewable energy development, domestic and foreign enterprises are hesitant to invest in the sector because it has higher production costs than traditional energy, she said.

To boost its development, the agency will join hands with Germany's International Exhibition and Fair Service Company to organise the 2nd International Exhibition on Renewable and Decentralised Energy Solutions in Hanoi next March.

"The three-day expo will be a good chance for Vietnamese universities, organisations and businesses to seek cooperation and update their knowledge on advanced technologies and solutions for renewable energy," Van said.

"The event will also offer Vietnam a valuable opportunity to introduce its renewable energy advantages and potential to domestic and foreign investors," she added.

About 200 booths will feature information about technologies and equipment for solar energy, wind energy, hydro-electric power, bio energy, geothermal energy and the conversion and transmission of renewable energy.

A conference discussing methods to export renewable energy will be held on the sidelines of the event.

Renewable energy will account for 4.5 percent of the nation's total power supply by 2020 and 6 percent in 2030, according to a 10-year national power development plan approved by the Prime Minister.

20th Informatics Olympics for Vietnamese students opens

The 20th Informatics Olympics for Vietnamese students and the 36th ACM International College Programming Contest (ACM/ICPC) opened at Can Tho University on October 6.

The Informatics Olympics has attracted more than 600 students from 70 universities nationwide.

After the opening ceremony, contestants will enter English Multiple Choice Tests and take turns showing their “individual products” and skills in the application of open-source software.

For the 36th ACM International College Programming Contest (ACM/ICPC), 85 teams of ACM-ICPC programmers will compete in ten factual issues related to English language and the best ten will be selected to attend an international competition to be held in the South East Asia region in late 2011.

Activities mark World Sight Day in Hanoi

A series of activities will be held in Hanoi on October 13 to mark World Sight Day 2011, themed “Bright eyes for children”.

They include a meeting with the participation of delegates involved in national blindness prevention work, a photo exhibition and the screening of a cartoon film on eye diseases for school children. Children from Nguyen Dinh Chieu High School will receive gifts from the organising board.

In response to the day, Hanoi Eye Hospital will offer free eye check-ups for children under 15 and free surgery for all visually-impaired children in the capital city from October 10-14.

The HITEC eye hospital will also offer free health check-ups and consultancy on eye diseases for the elderly aged over 60, to mark its first anniversary.

Initiated by the World Health Organisation and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness, World Sight Day falls on the second Thursday of October every year and aims to focus global attention on blindness and visual impairment while eradicating avoidable blindness all over the world.

This is the ninth year in which the day will be observed in Vietnam.

At present, there are almost 314 million blind and visually impaired people worldwide, of whom almost 2 million are from Vietnam. In Vietnam, nearly 23,000 children are blind in both eyes and this number keeps growing.

Statistics from Hanoi Eye Hospital showed that there are 32,000 blind people in Hanoi, which accounts for 0.5 percent of the capital city’s population.

Co-operation with UN helps control avian influenza virus

The Viet Nam-United Nations Joint Programme on avian influenza has made an important contribution to controlling the virus and reducing risks to human health in Viet Nam, a meeting heard yesterday.

The US$25 million project, which began in 2005, has provided an effective mechanism for emergency response to avian influenza and reduced the number of both human cases and disease outbreaks in poultry.

Specifically, the programme has provided technical support to the national poultry vaccination programme and post-vaccination surveillance; strengthened the legal framework for responding to avian influenza and similar threats; and improved the capacity of medical doctors, health officials and veterinarians.

The programme also targeted efforts to help poultry farmers and traders reduce the risk of infection among humans and bring the virus under control in birds.

Eamonn Murphy, acting UN Resident Co-ordinator said that the programme provided a model for UN and national agencies to discuss disease threats from animals to humans and other complex issues.

Bui Ba Bong, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development strongly affirmed Viet Nam's commitment to respond to avian influenza and address the risks of disease.

He expressed his wish to continue working with the UN to ensure the health of the Vietnamese people and contribute to regional and global efforts.

Co-operation between Viet Nam and the UN on the threat of avian influenza and other diseases from animals to humans is expected to continue during the 2012-16 period.

Viet Nam is the second most hit country in the world from the bird flu virus with over 100 human infections and 53 deaths.

Viet Nam's first outbreak of avian influenza occurred in late 2003. In April 2004, the disease quickly spread through 57 out of 63 provinces and 24 per cent of all communes reported outbreaks of the disease.

The outbreaks resulted in 52 million birds culled, which stagnated poultry production, disrupted trade, and seriously affected the tourism sector and the livelihoods of many rural poor households.

Schools found to be overcharging

The Ministry of Education and Training has asked the Ha Noi People's Committee to issue regulations to standardise the fees and rules guiding so-called Parents' Funds.

The funds are set up at most schools to provide money for general social and entertainment activities by pupils.

The ministry's move was made following an inspection at 53 schools in 13 districts in the city by municipal education and training inspectors.

This revealed that some schools were charging "unreasonable" fees at the start of the new academic year.

At a working session between the ministry and municipal authorities on Thursday, it was reported that schools were collecting anything from VND50,000 and VND500,000 (US$2.40 to $24) per student per year.

Some were reported to be ignoring existing ministry regulations over the management and use of the voluntary fund.

The municipal Department of Education and Training required schools found charging unreasonable fees to return the money.

Deputy chairwoman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc said that principals of schools found overcharging would be punished by district People's Committees.

She said the inspections would continue.

Milder winter to peak in January, February

This winter will not be as cold as last year and damaging colds would likely occur in January and February only, the national meteorological office has forecast.

The first major cold spell, with an average daytime temperature of less than 15 degrees Celsius, is predicted to hit the northern region after Boxing Day, later than previous years.

At least two storms will likely hit the central region by the end of this year, the centre said.

Province cuts $8.4m across 190 projects

The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has saved VND177 billion (US$8.4 million) in public funding this year by cutting about 190 projects, primarily in the construction sector.

The provincial People's Committee said the money would be used for projects facing funding shortages at a later time.

In the first nine months of the year, Dak Lak generated more than 19,000 jobs, 30 per cent of which were for ethnic minority people.

Dangerous chemical additives crackdown

HCM City People's Committee has ordered the Market Watch to boost its inspections and crackdowns in the trade and use of harmful food flavourings throughout the city.

Information campaigns will also be organised to raise awareness and responsibility among food producers and traders.

Dangerous chemicals had been found in many food products, including pho, chili sauce, Vietnamese sausages and some soft drinks, said director of the city's Department of Food Hygiene and Safety Huynh Le Thai Hoa.

International cocoa workshop to be held

A two-day international cocoa workshop will begin on December 3 in the southern province of Ben Tre, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has reported.

The workshop aims to create opportunities for Viet Nam and other countries to exchange experiences, new technologies, and new ideas. It will also provide opportunities to enhance co-operation in cocoa development.

Around 400 delegates from 11 countries are expected to attend the workshop.

Nearly 4,000ha of forest land reclaimed

Authorities have reclaimed over 3,700ha of forestry land reported to have been used illegally in the southern province of Tay Ninh.

An additional 800ha of forest are still being misused, according to the provincial Agriculture and Rural Development Department.

The land lies within Lo Go-Xa Mat National Park.

Ha Noi to finish all master plans by 2015

Ha Noi is set to complete master plans for all major areas of the city by 2015, chairman of the People's Committee Nguyen The Thao has said.

The plans include the northern area along the Hong (Red) River and areas along both banks of the river.

Numerous projects, including some in the western part of West Lake, Co Loa – West Lake, Nhat Tan – Noi Bai, West Lake – Ba Vi, Bac Thang Long – Noi Bai routes and the Old Quarter, are already underway.

The city targets an average housing area of 23sq.m per person in the next four years.

Eye treatment has become harder to find

Around 381,000 people throughout the country have lost sight in both eyes, according to Director of Viet Nam's National Institute of Ophthalmology Do Nhu Hon.

Hon made the statement at a three-day conference on ophthalmology that opened in southern Vung Tau Province yesterday.

Blindness was mainly caused by cataracts, glaucoma and trachoma or side effects of operations, he added.

Increasing short-sightedness was an additional concern, the percentage of children wearing glasses having increased by 40 – 50 per cent in urban areas and the rural number reaching around 15 per cent.

According to experts, the shortage of ophthalmologists throughout the country, alongside the uneven distribution of staff, had resulted in difficulties in ensuring sufficient ophthalmological treatment.

The conference was expected to work out measures to better provide health care services based on eyesight protection and enhancing the capacity of ophthalmologists.

Community groups tackle crime

More neighbourhood groups will be set up to apprehend criminals in Ha Noi, Nguyen Duc Nhanh, director of the city's Police Department, said at a meeting on security control on Thursday.

According to Nhanh, the groups were first tried out in HCM City.

A pilot trial in Ha Noi's Hai Ba Trung District since July last year has also proved positive.

The district currently has groups in all 20 of its wards, according to Hai Ba Trung District police.

"The establishment of these groups shows the public is concerned about preserving social security," said Nhanh.

To learn from experienced groups in south-eastern Binh Duong Province and HCM City, the Ha Noi Police Department recently visited both areas.

Nhanh said that the department was determined to make the groups operate effectively.

The Police Department also plans to organise a full-scale robbery rehearsal for gold shop proprietors and workers on October 15.

The aim is to instruct gold shops in an area to react should a robbery take place.

This follows concern following a tragic robbery at Ngoc Bich gold shop in northern Bac Giang Province in which a couple and their 18-month-old child were killed.

Nhanh said that alarm systems had been set up between gold shops and local police. Many police officers would take part in the rehearsal.

"Gold shoppers will also be invited to the rehearsal," added Nhanh.

Slow progress on fortifying dykes along Saigon River  

Construction work on dykes along Saigon River in Hiep Binh Phuoc Ward of Thu Duc District in Ho Chi Minh City has been moving far too slowly or is at a virtual standstill for the last two years.
 
Hiep Binh Phuoc Ward has three ongoing dyke construction projects underway at the moment. However, progress on all three projects is relatively at a standstill.

During high tide occurring at the end of September, floodwaters flowed over a dyke section inundating 50 houses and submerging Road No.7, for several days.

The dyke along Hai Sang Canal is far too fragile to withstand the high tide waves. The ongoing construction work to fortify or build a new dyke is on hold with only 30 percent of the construction work complete so far. On the construction site one can see a barge and a crane lying idle at the river’s edge.

Similar conditions prevail at the construction site along Vinh Cuu Canal and Saigon 3 Canal, with only 70 percent of the work complete.

Tran Van Hieu, a worker at the Hai Sang Canal said that the dyke was under construction till its investor Petrolimex Construction Joint Stock Company sacked some workers without an explanation.

The company just held on to seven workers to watch over the site. However, four of them quit as they were not given salaries for the last four months.

By the end of September, when workers saw the high tide rising, they informed the company asking them to send material and more workers to take proper action, but they got no response.

When floodwaters overflowed the dyke and streamed into commune homes, the company still did not make a move, despite the workers continually telephoning them of the situation.

Ho Van Phuoc, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee in Hiep Binh Phuoc Ward said that they had reported the matter to district authorities, who sent a dispatch to the company asking them to speed up the construction work on the dykes, but still no response has been forthcoming.
 
Annual Vo Truong Toan Prize to honor teachers  

Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training and Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper will jointly host the awards ceremony for the Vo Truong Toan Prize that honors outstanding teachers in the field of education.

Teachers from kindergartens, primary schools, secondary and high schools, vocational schools and colleges will be nominated for the 14th Vo Truong Toan Prize 2011.

Selected nominees must have made contributions to the “Comprehensive renewal of school campaign”, development policy of the industry from 2010-2015, interesting innovative teaching methods, besides having gained the trust and respect of colleagues, students and parents.

There will be 30 prize winners who will each receive a cash prize of VND10 million. The awards ceremony will take place in Ho Chi Minh City on November 18.