Dengue fever deaths rise in first nine months

The number of fatalities due to dengue fever increased by nearly 21 per cent in the first nine months of the year against the same period last year, according to the General Department of Preventive Medicine.

Speaking at an international workshop on dengue-fever prevention in HCM City yesterday, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long noted that urbanisation and climate change were contributing to the rise in number of cases.

"Many people continue to store water in their homes in uncovered jars, which attracts mosquitoes," Long said.
Long said they had been told to place guppy fish in the jars to destroy mosquito larvae.

He added that more campaigns were needed to raise people's awareness, and that People's Committees at all levels should take the initiative to allocate funds for dengue-fever prevention.

Tran Thanh Duong, deputy head of the General Department of Preventive Medicine, said that increasing urbanisation, water-storage habits of local people, budget and trained health worker shortages were all adding to the risk of further dengue-fever outbreaks.

The key tasks of the national programme for dengue control include improving surveillance systems and capacity of health workers; increasing the number and size of community-based dengue-control programmes; and an insecticide-use management programme.

Tran Cong Dai of the World Health Organisation's office in Viet Nam said the vaccine would be available in the next two to four years.

Future plans and strategies, he added, should include vaccine introduction and use; integration of vaccines with other tools for dengue-prevention and control; and investment in surveillance systems and monitoring of vaccine safety.

Lao Cai water system to cost $30mil

The northern mountain province of Lao Cai plans to invest more than VND630 billion (US$30 million) in a programme to supply clean water and improve sanitation from 2013 to 2015.

Dinh Van Suu, director of the province's Centre for Clean Water and Environment Sanitation, said funds for this year's programme amounted to VND71 billion ($3.38 million).

Next year it will triple to about $10 million and remain at this level for the next two years.

The programme aims to ensure 85 per cent of households can access clean water. Sixty five per cent will also receive lavatories. About 50 per cent of farmers who raise animals will be guaranteed fresh, clean water and waste-treatment systems.

The programme will also make sure all schools and health centres have pure water supplies.

Suu said the province would give preferential treatment to people in disadvantaged and remote areas, including ethnic communities.

It would also accept cash contributions and work efforts from those benefiting to strengthen co-operation between authorities and communities.

To ensure the success of the programme, a communication and education network would be set up to create a positive attitude towards a clean and hygienic rural environment, Suu said.

The province would raise the capacity of staff who supervised the programme to make sure water supplies operated efficiently.

Nguyen Dac Thuy, head of the provincial co-ordination office for the project, said that it was an urgent issue.

Currently, only 18 per cent of the province's population have clean water; 39.6 per cent of households and only about half of schools have hygienic water-closets.

And only 33 per cent of farms at present have hygienic breeding facilities.

WHO praises efforts to boost traffic safety

The World Health Organisation has commended Viet Nam for its strengthened resolve to make roads safe following a newly-issued Government decree that imposes higher fines on traffic violators.

Decree No 71 addresses many important road safety issues and includes harsher penalties for drunk drinking, a major factor in road accidents in Viet Nam, according to a WHO press release.

"The causal relationship between alcohol and road trauma is well established and for the majority of adults, a few drinks in a short space of time is all it takes to seriously impair driving ability substantially increasing the risk of having a crash resulting in serious or even fatal injuries, " said Dr Takeshi Kasai, WHO Representative to Viet Nam.

According to the new decree, which takes effect in November, drunk drivers will be subject to a fine ranging from VND10 to 15 million, approximately half the average annual per capita income.

The penalties for motorbike drivers committing the same offence will be from VND2 to 3 million. In addition, all drivers and riders will also simultaneously lose their license and their vehicle for between 10 to 60 days.

Tao Xuyen tollbooth officially closed

The Tao Xuyen Tollbooth on the National Highway in central Thanh Hoa Province was officially shut down Monday afternoon. The tollbooth was known for its expensive tolls, double the amount of other tollgates which are VND10-120,000.

Thang Long-Noi Bai road toll may increase

A draft circular from the Ministry of Finance proposes that the road fee for vehicles passing through the toll gate of the North Thang Long – Noi Bai Road be increased about 1.5 times from the current level, which are VND10,000-120,000 (US$0.4-5.7) depending on the vehicle's loading capacity.

In June this year, the Viet Nam Road Administration approved the removal of 14 toll booths in order to avoid overlapping toll collections once the road maintenance fund is established in 2013. The North Thang Long – Noi Bai toll gate is one of them.

According to Viet Nam Automobile Transport Association chairman Nguyen Manh Hung, non-BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) toll gates, including that of North Thang Long – Noi Bai, would be removed after 2013.

More than VND5.5 billion for disadvantaged children

The Gia Lai province’s Children Fund has raised more than VND5.5 billion to support disadvantaged children since the beginning of 2012.

The funds have been allocated to providing free surgery for 142 disabled children suffering heart and eye diseases.

Nearly 10,000 disadvantaged children in remote and mountainous areas, including orphans and the disabled, have also been provided with warm clothes, bicycles, books, and scholarships.

The fund additionally donated VND450 million to the districts of Chu Prong, Krong Pa, Chu Se, Kbang, and Mang Yang to enable the purchase of entertainment equipment for local children.

Nguyen Thanh Hue, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, stressed the State’s and society’s responsibility for creating the best possible conditions for children’s education.

He hopes that doing so maximises the potential of the younger generations’ future contributions to the betterment of the nation.

National team look to strengthen

The Vietnamese national football team yesterday reassembled for its second training camp of the year at the coastal city of Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa Province.

The camp is being held to help the players overcome their physical weakness and increase their chances at the Southeast Asia Football Championships at the end of this year.

Players will take part in exercises designed and conducted by English fitness coach Dylan Kerr to build up their endurance and strength, two qualities that Vietnamese players somewhat lack, compared to other title contenders.

After the first training camp this year in Ha Noi, the team played two friendlies with Malaysia and Indonesia, where it beat the former 2-0 and drew goalless with the later.

After the friendlies, head coach Phan Thanh Hung noted that the physical strength of players was a concern.

VNN/VOV/VNS