First safe kids traffic park inaugurated

Photo: Vietnam+
A park for children’s safety in traffic was inaugurated at a primary school in Dong Nai province on November 3 with financial assistance from an international umbrella group, making it the first of its kind in Vietnam.

The US$71,000-plus project, with funding from the FedEx Company was designed as a miniature city on 1,700 sq. m., with railways, highways, overpasses, a traffic light system, and footpaths.
The project was sponsored by the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP) and Safe Kids Worldwide.
The park will help train primary pupils in traffic safety skills, strictly following traffic guidelines shown by traffic lights and signals.
Fedex presented the provincial education service with a set of electronic curriculum, including a computer, a projector and curricula, which will show children in different traffic situations and show potential dangers if they ignore traffic rules.
Mirjam Sidik, executive manager of AIP-Vietnam, said pedestrians are the group most vulnerable to traffic injuries. The situation called for education of pupils in safe traffic behaviour, along with investment in upgrading infrastructure surrounding schools, as the best ways for children to protect themselves from traffic accidents.
Over 60 percent of children from Quang Bien primary school in the southern province of Dong Nai have to walk to school along accident-prone roads.

Two wanted men nabbed in Hai Phong

Northern Hai Phong City's Police arrested two men on Tuesday night who were wanted for their alleged involvement in two separate murder cases.

Nguyen Manh Vinh, 29, and Do The Anh, 30, are both from the city's Le Chan District.

Vinh and his accomplices allegedly used a gun to kill Nguyen Cong Tu in Hai Phong City's An Duong District during an altercation last April. In June, Vinh bitterly resisted arrest and escaped from Hai Duong Police.

Anh and his gang allegedly stabbed a Ha Long City resident in northern Quang Ninh Province last July.

Drugs linked to provincial AIDS

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong yesterday, Nov 3, asked northern Dien Bien Province to increase awareness among Party members, local authorities and residents about the harmful effects of drugs, prostitution and HIV/AIDS.

Trong, who is also a Politburo member and Chairman of the National Committee on AIDS, Drugs and Prostitution Control, made the request during a two-day working visit to the province.

He instructed the province to mobilise all political and community resources to fight against the social evils.

The province was also asked to organise a proper health system to meet the treatment needs of drug addicts and those who are HIV-positive and upgrade rehabilitation centres at the same time.

Trong said the province should pay more attention to improving the lives of local residents, especially those who lived with HIV/AIDS.

He instructed the Ministry of Health to provide further training courses to local health staff, develop human resources and invest in rehabilitation services.

In a report on HIV/AIDS, drugs and prostitution, provincial People's Committee vice chairman Pham Xuan Koi said there were about 4,890 people living with HIV/AIDS in Dien Bien Province; 2,334 of whom had full blown AIDS. On average, about three new people were reported to be infected with HIV each day.

The trade, trafficking and use of drugs in the province have become a complicated issue with more than 5,450 drug addicts reported.

Koi said the provincial authorities had increased the dissemination of anti-retroviral treatment and successfully provided treatment to 85 per cent of those infected with HIV. Extensive HIV/AIDS testing had been carried out in all of the province's districts.

The province is currently implementing four methadone treatment programmes in Muong Ang, Muong Cha, Tuan Giao and Dien Bien districts.

During his stay in Dien Bien, Trong visited several methadone rehabilitation centres.

Hanoi hosts int’l exhibition on road transport

The biggest international exhibition on road transport (Viet Transport 2010) opened in Hanoi on November 4, sponsored by the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Construction, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

At the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Transport Truong Tan Vien said the Vietnamese Government considers transportation one of three keys to high economic growth in the next 10 years.

The exhibition attracted many businesses from the US, Japan, Germany, and the Republic of Korea, to showcase road construction equipment, bridge projects, road signage, construction materials, and exchange information on financing, operating, maintaining and managing transportation networks.

During the event, there will be seminars on urban transport.

Biosensor detects Japanese encephalitis virus

The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology has tested successfully the biosensor method to discover Japanese encephalitis virus.

The new method is accurate 60-80 times more than the old one and helps discover the disease within 20 minutes at a cost of VND300,000, the institute said on November 3.

US students’ ship docks at Sai Gon port

The Explorer ship carrying students of US universities docked in the Sai Gon Port in Ho Chi Minh City on November 3, beginning a five-day tour of Vietnam.

The ship, carrying the flag of Bahamas, belongs to the Stellar Maritime S.A Marshall Island Shipping Company and is operated by the Pittsburgh State University of the US.

With more than 760 passengers, most of the US nationality, and a crew of 185 members on board, the Explorer ship left the Singapore port for Vietnam.

The ship is specialising in carrying students and lecturers of the US universities for a 100-day programme of study at sea, and a tour of continents around the world.
A ‘Vietnam Day’ will be held during their stay to introduce Vietnam’s land, people and customs to US students.

VNN/VOV/VNS