Fines totaling over VND4 trillion were imposed on more than 2.1 million traffic violation cases in the first half of this year.

Authorities processed 2,136,205 cases across roads, railways, and waterways, resulting in 407,703 license seizures and 715,459 vehicle detentions.

Alcohol-related violations numbered 501,435, representing 19.85% of the total, while drug-related violations amounted to 2,901. Speeding accounted for 501,009 cases, with overloading violations including 30,762 cases and 15,868 waterway overloading cases.

The enforcement surge followed the enactment of Circular 28/2024/TT-BCA, which enhanced monitoring through the VneID application.

VNeID, developed by the National Population Data Center of the Ministry of Public Security, replaces traditional documents and provides utilities for digital citizens, digital government, and digital society.

In the first week of July alone, police inspected 26,961 cases, issued 6,892 violation records, and seized 2,000 driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations. Additionally, 499 driver’s licenses were revoked electronically.

The crackdown targeted key violations contributing to traffic accidents, including driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, speeding, passenger transport vehicles, vehicles carrying oversized or dangerous loads, and the use of counterfeit documents.

Efforts to reduce drink driving aimed to lower traffic accidents and promote a culture of “Don’t drink and drive.” Authorities also strengthened measures against illegal racing and violations related to not wearing helmets when riding motorcycles and electric bicycles.

On railways, violations at road-rail intersections and regulations on passenger and cargo transport were strictly enforced. Alcohol use by railway employees was also monitored. Waterway enforcement targeted overloading vessels, safety compliance, and unauthorized modifications and repairs.

The Ministry of Public Security’s actions led to a 37.6% reduction in alcohol-related traffic accidents, a 66.2% decrease in fatalities, and an 11.1% drop in injuries, demonstrating the impact of strict penalties on improving road safety.

Conference talks revolutionary ethics for Party officials

Nearly 1.3 million Party officials on July 9 attended a conference in Hanoi to learn more about the Party’s regulations on revolutionary ethics for ranking officials and Party members, as well as preparations for the coming 14th National Party Congress.

The conference, which was held both physically and virtually, examined Regulation No. 144-QD/TW of the Party Central Committee on the code of conduct for ranking officials and Party members in the new situation, and Directive No.35-CT/TW of the Party Central Committee on grassroots-level Party congresses in the lead-up to the 14th National Party Congress in 2026.

Among senior leaders present at the conference were State President To Lam, former State President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, permanent member of the Party Secretariat Luong Cuong, along with other Politburo members, Party Secretaries, Party Central Committee members, leaders of ministries, and Party Secretaries of cities and provinces nationwide.

Regulation No. 144-QD/TW is a follow up to concretize Conclusion No. 21-KL/TW of the 13th Party Central Committee aimed at stepping up the Party building and rectification campaign, and resolutely preventing manifestations of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” in political ideology, ethics and lifestyle among ranking officials and Party members.

It affirms the Party’s special attention to the importance of Party building on ethics, especially in the context that the Party is promoting the prevention and combat of corruption and negativity in order to build a truly pure and strong political system.

Meanwhile, Directive No.35-CT/TW is a very important document that outlines viewpoints, principles, goals, and requirements for organizing Party congresses at all levels to ensure consistency and unity throughout the political system.

The Politburo has set out seven requirements for the preparation and organization of Party congresses at all levels for the 2025-2030 tenure, with a primary focus on improving the quality of documents and personnel work, as well as forecastability analysis of situations.

Vietnam suggests promoting exchanges between ASEAN, Russian youths

Exchange and training activities for young people in the fields of communications, agriculture, culture and sports should be promoted, Deputy Director of the International Department of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee Le Hong Nhung has said.

Nhung made the suggestion at the third congress of the international council of the World Youth Festival (WYF) Directorate, which ended on July 8 in Moscow, Russia.

She went on to say that youth exchanges should be organised regularly and expressed her wish that there will be activities to foster connections and promote exchange and mutual understanding between youths of member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Russia.

Vietnam is ready to expand bilateral cooperation in international youth-related affairs, Nhung added.

Participants at the event introduced solutions to popularising Russian as an international language.

WYF-2024, which took place in Sochi from July 1-7, brought together 20,000 young people, including 10,000 delegates of Russia and the rest from other countries and territories./.

Lao Cai new products meet tourists’ travel trends

The northern province of Lao Cai has seen strong growth in the tourism revenue so far this year thanks to its effective measures to optimise its advantages and update new travel trends to provide unique and attractive tourism products to domestic and foreign visitors.

One of the new products that have drawn a large number of visitors recently is farmstay which allows tourists to join locals in agricultural activities such as growing crops or raising fish and livestock, and enjoy their products.

Ta Van commune in Sa Pa township has emerged as a hub for farmstay tourism. Hoang Hien, the owner of Hua homestay, said that she found that visitors are particularly interested in experiencing the local life and enjoy paddy transplanting with local residents.

In the community house of the Red Dao in Phin Ngan, Bat Xat district, many visitors were excitedly preparing traditional meals with local residents. They can also follow locals to the wood to collect herbal medicinal plants in preparation for bathing water which has been well-known as a specialty of the Dao people.

Thanks to the massive forest area, farmstay tourism model is booming in Lao Cai, generating double benefits, helping increase income for locals and promote sustainable environment. In order to expand agrotourism, Lao Cai has worked to connect tourists and destinations by organising events and farm trips for travel firms and media agencies.

Meanwhile, the locality is developing many other tourism products in association with the promotion of the cultural identities of local ethnic minority groups.

At the same time, Lao Cai has strengthened coordination with domestic and foreign localities such as Hanoi, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Yunnan (China), and Nouvelle Aquitaine region (France) to promote its tourism sector.

In the time to come, the Lao Cai Department of Tourism will organise a number of large-scale events to lure visitors, including Bac Ha White Plateau Festival, Rose and Love Festival, Triathlon tournament in Bac Ha, Sa Pa Snow Festival, and international tourism fair 2024.

According to the provincial Department of Tourism, in the first haft of 2024, the province earned 13.5 trillion VND (531.18 million USD) from tourism services, a surge of 24% year on year.

The locality welcomed more than 4.1 million visitors, fulfilling 48.67% its plan for the whole year. Sa Pa township, honoured by Tripadvisor as one of top five Trending Destinations in the world in 2024, has still been the major tourist hub of Lao Cai, which served nearly 2 million visitors in the first half of this year.

This year, Lao Cai aims to attract 8.5 million visitors to earn over 27 trillion VND./.

HCM City - Con Dao express boat service to be suspended

The Ho Chi Minh City - Con Dao express boat service will be temporarily suspended from July 29 due to inefficient operation.

The service was launched in mid-May, 2024, connecting the southern metropolis with Con Dao island off Ba Ria - Vung Tau province.

However, several factors have hindered passengers from choosing the service such as the long distance, over 20km, between the city's centre and the Saigon - Hiep Phuoc port in the outlying district of Nha Be, where the boat departs; passengers having to pay fees to enter the port; and weather conditions, among others, the company said.

The operator offered a free shuttle bus service from the September 23 Park in HCM City’s District 1 to the port for passengers booking in advance. However, some problems occured and it decided to suspend the service from early June but later resumed the operation.

The high-speed boat, named Thang Long, seats 1,017 passengers. Ticket prices ranged between 615,000 VND (26 USD) - 1.1 million VND (43 USD) per trip.

There were three trips departing each port weekly. The boat departed from Sai Gon - Hiep Phuoc Port for Con Dao at 7:00am, and from Ben Dam Wharf of Con Dao for HCM City at 1:00pm./.

Hanoi workshop talks supreme audit institutions’ role in anti-corruption

The role of supreme audit institutions (SAI) in fighting corruption and promoting transparency and good governance was highlighted at a workshop held by the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV) in Hanoi on July 9.

The event formed part of the activities marking the 30th anniversary of the SAV, and offered a platform for SAIs and international organisations to seek solutions to challenges in the fight against corruption and money laundering.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai lauded the SAV’s role and position in the political system, as well as its contributions to the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).

The SAV has also played an important part in finance and public asset inspections and supervisions, the approval of settlements by localities, and anti-corruption, the legislator continued.

SAV Auditor General Ngo Van Tuan pointed to emerging issues in the context of globalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which necessitate international cooperation.

With regard to anti-corruption, he said SAIs are playing a more active role in the efforts, covering the detection and publicisation of areas vulnerable to corruption, adding they are closely coordinating with other relevant agencies in the fight.

Participants shared the view on cooperation among the institutions, as well as between them and other agencies in anti-corruption, and necessary conditions, legal foundation, personnel, and equipment for SAIs to carry forward their role in the field./.

Solar-powered lighting system developed for borders, islands

A local research team has successfully implemented an intelligent lighting system using solar energy, integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, for trial application in border and island areas which have limited infrastructure and no access to the national grid and are in dire need of effective and sustainable lighting solutions.

The project, designed and developed by a research team from Rang Dong Light Source and Vacuum Flask JSC, has been successfully tested in various border and island areas of Vietnam. The results show that the system operates stably, providing lighting for daily activities and security while minimising environmental impact.

Dr. Nguyen Doan Ket, the head of the team, said that the system is equipped with IoT sensors to collect data on light, temperature, humidity, and battery status, with the data sent to a control centre for remote monitoring and management. AI is integrated into the system to automatically analyse the collected data, make predictions, and adjust operations, helping optimise lighting performance and extend battery life.

Key components of the system include solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity and storage batteries. Its smart controller manages and coordinates the system’s operations, and high-efficiency LED lights ensure strong illumination while saving energy.

According to Dr. Tran Thi Hanh from the Vietnam Institute of Energy Science, the project not only addresses the basic lighting needs but also paves the way for the application of renewable energy and smart technologies in other fields./.

First Vietnamese culture day held in Croatia

The Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, Zagreb city, and Mladenaca Park on July 7 co-organised a Vietnamese Cultural Day – the first of its kind in Croatia, in Zagreb.

The event took place on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic ties between the two countries (July 1, 1994-2024).

Representatives from the Croatian ministry, Zagreb city, the Vietnamese diplomatic delegation in Croatia, Vietnamese businesses, associations, and communities attened the even together with thousands of local residents.

International friends and the Vietnamese community in Hungary and Croatia enjoyed Vietnamese musical performances and traditional dances of Croatia, and tried Vietnamese cuisine at the event.

An exhibition of photos and video clips about 30 years of Vietnam-Croatia relations, Vietnam and Vietnamese people was held along with a display of typical Vietnamese handicrafts and agricultural products. There were also activities to connect businesses of the two countries.

Speaking at the event, Petar Mihatov, Special Envoy of the Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Director-General for Political Affairs under the ministry said that Croatia and Vietnam share many similarities in their history of fighting for independence, their efforts to build and develop the countries, and have developed good political and diplomatic relations over the past 30 years.

The two countries have many beautiful landscapes and world cultural heritages recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which open up opportunities to promote their tourism cooperation and exchange experiences in many other fields such as culture, education, sports and people-to-people exchanges, he said.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary and Croatia Nguyen Thi Bich Thao emphasised that Vietnam always attaches importance to consolidating and developing relations with traditional friends in the Balkans, of which Croatia is a priority.

The Ambassador said she believed the two countries will expand cooperation more effectively and substantially in many potential fields with complementary strengths such as food processing, logistics, clean energy, high technology, digital economy, and medicine.

On this occasion, she announced the nomination of an Honorary Consul of Vietnam in Croatia. The Vietnamese community liaison committee in Croatia was also launched at the event./.

Vietnam promotes cooperation with WIPO

A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy is attending the 65th of Series of Meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), taking place in Geneva, Switzerland from July 9-17.

The event sees a record number of over 1,400 participants, including nearly 20 ministers and deputies ministers from 191 member countries and observers.

Addressing the event, Duy congratulated WIPO on its outstanding achievements related to institution building work, specifically the adoption of the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge in May and the upcoming convening of a diplomatic conference to ratify the Design Law Treaty (DLT) next November.

In his speech, Duy also emphasised that Vietnam has issued the National IP Strategy until 2030, which mobilises all stakeholders in society to engage in IP activities with businesses playing a central role.

He also announced that for the first time, Vietnam has successfully built and published the 2023 local innovation index report.

On the sidelines of event, Duy had a working session with WIPO Director General Daren Tang, during which he briefed on the major policies of the Vietnamese Party and State on science, technology, innovation and intellectual property.

Thanking WIPO for its valuable support to his ministry in calculating the local innovation index, developing the National Intellectual Property Strategy and other important projects, he hoped that in the coming time, the organisation will expand cooperation with Vietnam to other areas such as studies on the relationship between IP protection and innovations created by artificial intelligence (AI).

For his part, the WIPO leader congratulated Vietnam on its recent socio-economic development achievements, and appreciated Vietnam's steady advancement in the global innovation index ranking. He also hailed Vietnam as one of the few countries in the world which have published the local innovation index report.

He affirmed that WIPO is ready to cooperate with Vietnam in new areas that the Vietnamese official has mentioned./.

Seminar in Israel highlights Dien Bien Phu Victory

The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel, in collaboration with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, on July 9 organised a seminar on the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 1954) and the signing of the “Geneva Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities in Vietnam (1954 - 2024) on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of those events.

Participants, who are students studying international relations and Asian studies at the university, had a chance to watch a documentary on the historic victory which marked the end of the French colonialism and created a turning point that led to the signing of the Geneva Agreement (July 21, 1954) to end the war and restore peace in Indochina.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung also introduced Vietnam's socio-economic achievements in recent years, the process of Vietnam transforming from a war-torn country to an attractive destination for foreign investors and tourists, and the developments of Vietnam-Israel relations since the two countries set up diplomatic ties (July 12, 1993-July 12, 2024).

The students expressed their excitement at the information received from the seminar.

Manana Shimsilashvili, a local student who majors in Japanese studies, said that Vietnam has an admirable history, adding that the nation has had to face many difficulties but it knows how to overcome them. In this sense, Vietnam is a source of inspiration for all nations, she continued.

Previously, the ambassador and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy in Israel also engaged in a discussion on the above-mentioned topic with some lecturers and scholars of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and representatives of the Israel-Vietnam Friendship Association./.

Book on 50 years of Vietnam – France relations released

The Truth National Political Publishing House has recently released a book reviewing 50 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and France (1973-2023).

The book written by PhD Vo Minh Hung is comprised of four chapters correspondingly illustrating Vietnam-France relations in history; Vietnam-France relations in the 1973-1993 period; Vietnam-France relations in the 1993-2023 period; and Prospects for Vietnam-France relations in the coming decades of the 21st century.

Vietnam and France have treasured a long-standing traditional relationship through many ups and downs in history. In the context of peace, cooperation and development as the common trend globally at present, both countries have introduced their foreign policies appropriate to the new situation to increase cooperation opportunities, facilitate national development, and at the same time solve difficulties facing them.

While France has realized the potential of the Asia-Pacific region, home to the world’s most dynamically developing economies by adopting its Indo-Pacific Strategy, Vietnam has also implemented a foreign policy of multilateralisation and diversification of foreign relations, by attaching importance to relations with global economic and political centers and expanding cooperation with European countries.

In ASEAN, Vietnam has an increasingly political and economic position, serving as a bridge to help France penetrate the ASEAN market as well as the larger Asian market. Meanwhile, France is one of the world’s leading powers and plays an important role in Europe, especially the European Union.

Promoting the friendly relationship with France therefore gives Vietnam the chance to expand economic relations with other EU member countries in particular and the European Union in general.

Overcoming differences in political institutions and economic development levels, and leaving behind the pain of a past historical period, Vietnam-France relations are developing comprehensively in all fields from politics-diplomacy and defense-security, to economics, culture, science-technology and people-to-people exchanges for peace and prosperity of the two peoples.

The book helps readers better understand the development of the Vietnam-France relationship in history and future prospects. In the book, the author analyzed limitations as well as prospects of bilateral relations, affirming that the two countries will continue to strengthen their strategic partnership and develop together to new heights.

Vietnam and Russia prepare for intergovernmental meeting this year

Vietnam and Russia examined preparations for the coming Meeting of their Intergovernmental Committee on Economic, Trade and Scientific and Technological Cooperation, during their online meeting held on July 9.

The online meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, chairman of the Vietnam - Russia Subcommittee, and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, chairman of the Russia - Vietnam Subcommittee.

The two sides reviewed and evaluated the implementation of the Minutes of the 24th Meeting of the Vietnam - Russia Intergovernmental Committee on Economic - Trade and Scientific and Technological Cooperation in April 2023.

They agreed to improve the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation so as to meet the interests of each country as well as the Vietnam - Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The two Deputy Prime Ministers affirmed that they would direct ministries and agencies of the two countries to coordinate closely to prepare well for the 25th Meeting of the Vietnam - Russia Intergovernmental Committee, which is about to take place in 2024.

According to Ha, Vietnamese ministries and agencies are actively working on agreements reached during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s June 2024 State visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

At the 24th meeting, the two sides expressed their desires to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership.

They agreed to effectively implement the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasian Economic Union, creating favourable market access conditions for each other, especially concerning their products with strengths and without direct competition.

In education and training, they consented to early sign a new treaty based on the 2005 agreement, hold the second Vietnam – Russia rectors' forum, and collaborate in the teaching of Vietnamese and Russian.

248th US Independence Day celebrated in HCM City

The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations (HUFO) held a gathering on July 9 to mark the 248th Independence Day of the US (July 4, 1776 - 2024).

HUFO Vice President Pham Xuan Hoang An said the celebration was meaningful to people of not only the US but also around the world who treasure the values of freedom, democracy, and independence.

This is a clear demonstration of the long-standing friendship and sustainable cooperation between Vietnam and the US, the official said.

The past years have witnessed many great strides and steady progress in bilateral relations, especially the recent elevation of their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, which An described as a breakthrough opening up numerous opportunities for more intensive collaboration in various areas like trade, investment, science - technology, defence, security, and people-to-people diplomacy.

The new partnership emphasises both countries’ commitment to promoting stronger relations for the sake of the two peoples’ shared interests as well as regional and global peace and stability, he noted.

Basing on the countries’ sound relations, HCM City is proud of its close connections with its twin cities such as San Francisco and New York. Their cultural, economic, and educational exchanges have helped diversify the Vietnam - US ties and generated practical benefits for both, the HUFO official went on.

HCM City believes that the two sides will create more favourable conditions for cultural exchanges, helping deepen mutual understanding and all-round cooperation between the two countries, An added.

Applauding the strong advances in the US - Vietnam relations, Acting Deputy Consul General of the US in HCM City Christian Le said 2025 will mark the 30th year since the normalisation of the bilateral diplomatic relationship, and that their partnership has never been so good like at present. The countries have switched from a history of conflict and division to a comprehensive strategic partnership covering multiple fields, including politics, security, economy, education, and people-to-people links.

She noted some positive results of the cooperation in education, war aftermath settlement, trade, investment, and green economy development. A highlight of the partnership is people-to-people ties as seen in the creation of opportunities for each other’s students and the formation of safe supply chains for small enterprises of the countries.

The US wishes to work with the Vietnamese Government and people to seize this possibility in the coming years for the development of a strong, prosperous, independent, and resilient Vietnam, according to the diplomat.

Vietnam welcomes RoK investment in affordable housing: Deputy PM

The Vietnamese Government welcomes investment from the Republic of Korea (RoK) in affordable housing projects for low-income earners in Vietnam, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang affirmed.

During a reception in Hanoi on July 9 for a delegation of Korean businesses operating in the construction and urban development sector led by Jung Won-ju, Chairman of the Daewoo E&C Group and Chairman of the Korea Housing Builders’ Association, Quang highlighted the growing Vietnam-RoK relationship with ample investment opportunities.

He praised the success of Korean-invested projects, particularly those in green, smart, and modern urban development, and expressed a belief that collaboration between Korean and Vietnamese companies would lead to higher-quality and more cost-effective projects.

Jung thanked the Vietnamese Government, ministries and Hanoi city for their support of the Starlake urban area project, which is currently attracting significant secondary investment from major Korean and international players.

He also requested continued assistance from Vietnamese authorities for another modern and livable urban area project planned for the northern province of Thai Binh.

Informing the host that the RoK Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will visit Vietnam next week to promote housing development cooperation, he affirmed that more Korean companies will be coming to Vietnam to explore opportunities and invest in specific projects.

PM seeks FIATA's support in boosting logistics workforce

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has proposed the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) provide Vietnam’s logistics sector with workforce training through expanded training and capacity building programmes.

During a reception in Hanoi on July 9 for FIATA President Turgut Erkeskin, PM Chinh lauded FIATA's ongoing support for the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA) in hosting the FIATA World Congress 2025 in Hanoi.

He highlighted Vietnamese robust logistics sector's average annual growth rate of 14-16%, saying it was instrumental in propelling Vietnam's total export-import turnover to nearly US$700 billion in 2023. He also commended FIATA's role in fostering collaboration between the VLA and the global logistics community.

As Vietnam is building a development strategy for logistics services for the 2025-2035 period, with a vision to 2045, he asked FIATA to share information and provide support and advice regarding digital transformation, green transition, and solutions for developing logistics in agriculture and industry.

He also highlighted the importance of developing the maritime fleet and economic-trade transport corridors, and providing technical assistance to help Vietnam finalise its National Logistics Development Strategy in 2024.

According to him, the Vietnamese Government will consider establishing a National Steering Committee on Logistics Services with a competent apparatus capable of assisting the cabinet in directing and accelerating the development of this crucial sector. Focus is also given to strategic infrastructure for logistics and quality workforce training.

The Vietnamese Government will work closely with domestic and foreign partners to create favourable conditions for economic, investment, trade and service cooperation activities, with a particular emphasis on developing logistics services to maximise benefits for all parties involved in the spirit of harmonising benefits and sharing risks, he said.

Erkeskin, in reply, believed that the Vietnamese Government, ministries and agencies will actively contribute to the success of the FIATA World Congress 2025.

Praising Vietnam's logistics development strategy for the 2025-2035 period with a vision to 2045, especially its focus on digital transformation, green transition, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, he said Vietnam holds significant potential to emerge as a global and regional logistics hub, and suggested the pooling of all social resources to achieve this goal.

Vietnam promotes population policies alongside fundamental human rights

Population and family planning work has significantly contributed to the country's socio-economic development, while all population policies ensure that fundamental human rights are at the centre.

In celebration of World Population Day on July 11, the nation has chosen the theme of "Investing in population work is investing in sustainable development".

In 2023, the Vietnamese population exceeded the 100 million mark with the country ranking 15th in the world with more than 100 million citizens.

Under the target until 2030, the number of young men and women receiving health advice and examination before marriage will reach 90%; the number of child marriage couples and the number of consanguineous marriage couples will be reduced by 50% and 60%, respectively; 70% of pregnant women will be screened for at least the four most common congenital diseases and defects; and 90% of newborns will be screened for at least the five most common congenital diseases.

The average life expectancy of Vietnamese people is expected to reach 75 years under the plan. In addition, 100% of the elderly will have health insurance cards with health management, medical examination, and treatment; whilst being able to receive care at home, in the community, or at centralised care facilities.

By 2030, the height of an 18-year-old man will reach 168.5cm, whilst women will be at 157.5cm. The Human Development Index (HDI) is among the top four countries in Southeast Asia.

The goal of the Vietnam Health Program signed by the government in 2018 is to build a supportive environment and strengthen the capacity of each person; competently perform the management and comprehensive health care to improve the health, longevity, and quality of life of Vietnamese people.

During the 2018 to 2030 period, the Vietnam Health Program focuses on 11 areas divided into the three groups of health improvement, health protection and disease prevention, along with primary health care and disease control.

In fact, Vietnamese population policies have so far achieved encouraging results.

According to the results of Vietnam's population censuses from 1989 to the present, the average life expectancy of Vietnamese people has continuously increased, rising from 65.2 to 73.7 by late 2023.

In terms of people's life expectancy, the nation ranks fourth in Southeast Asia with a life expectancy of 66, the lowest in the region, whilst the world average stands at 73.4 years.

The height of Vietnamese people has also seen a remarkable improvement. Results of the 2017 to 2020 National Nutrition Census indicates that the average 18-year-old male youth in 2020 reached a height of 168.1cm, an increase of 3.7cm compared to 2010 in 164.4cm. Female youth in 2020 reached an average height of 156.2cm, while the figure was only 154.8cm back in 2010.

Vietnam has greatly improved population quality as human rights policies have been carried out in a humane and practical way, such as prioritising support for low-income people, ethnic minority people, women, the elderly, and children.

The Vietnamese Party and State have adopted numerous specific policies in a bid to improve the lives of the elderly and people based in ethnic minority areas.

In July, the Government issued a decree on increasing the level of social benefits for the elderly from July 1, with the highest level up to VND1,500,000.

The Committee for Ethnic Minorities said that at present, the country has 188 policies specifically for ethnic minority and mountainous areas, including the Sedentary Cultivation Program, Programs 134 and 135, as well as schemes under Resolution 30a.

In 2023, the number of poor households among ethnic minorities stood at about 17.82%, down 3.2% compared to 2022.

The Party and State's poverty reduction policies and plans have been well implemented, thus gradually improving the lives of poor households.

Poor households nationwide were at 9.88% in 2015, whilst by 2023 the number according to the multi-dimensional poverty standard had dropped to only 2.93%. As a result, the country has become one of the world's models for achievements in hunger eradication and poverty reduction.

The UN Development Program (UNDP) Representative Office in Vietnam assesses that the nation is among the top group among countries globally with the fastest progress in realising sustainable development goals and is one of the states to boast the best progress in terms of implementing global goals in Asia.

Thus, in recent years, the country has applied human rights protection in a practical way, putting basic human rights at the centre of population policies.

Whooping cough resurfaces in Thừa Thiên-Huế after more than ten years

Whooping cough has re-emerged in the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế after more than ten years, with five suspected cases, of which two already tested positive for the virus, the provincial health department announced on Tuesday.

All five cases are under supervision at the Huế General Hospital.

Two patients who were tested positive for the disease are from Huế City and Hương Thủy Town. They are children under three months old, who either have not been vaccinated or have just been vaccinated and have not yet got immunity.

Leaders of the local health department said that after recording suspected cases, the health sector coordinated with affected localities to organise investigations, take test samples and send them to the Nha Trang Pasteur Institute for confirmatory testing.

The department has stepped up communication messaging to raise people's awareness about the disease.

The health sector is continuing to supervise to promptly detect cases in the community, as well as in medical facilities to control and prevent outbreaks.

The provincial health sector strengthens the work of admitting, treating and resuscitating patients, moving them to upper-level when required and preventing cross-infection in medical facilities.

It maintains vaccination rates, reviewing cases that have not been vaccinated or not to the right level, organising top up vaccinations according to the Ministry of Health’s instructions.

The health department said that whooping cough was an acute respiratory infection caused by pertussis bacteria.

The disease often occurs in children under five years old, is severe and can easily lead to death, causing complications of bronchitis and pneumonia, especially in those who have not been fully vaccinated.

It transmits through the respiratory tract by direct contact with the patient's nasopharyngeal secretions when coughing or sneezing.

The infection rate is high in people living in the same closed space, such as households and schools.

Statistics of the Department of Preventive Medicine showed that in the first five months this year, the country recorded 127 cases of whooping cough, 7.9 times greater than the same period last year.

The main reason is the interruption in vaccines supply under the Expanded Immunisation Programme, which has affected the nationwide coverage rate. 

Health authorities go full force to prevent outbreak after fatal diphtheria case

One diphtheria death has been recorded in the central Nghệ An Province prompting fast actions from health authorities to avoid any more fatalities and to contain any possible outbreak.

The patient was an 18-year-old student in Kỳ Sơn District, who died on July 5. A total of 119 people who have come into contact with her have been identified.

Among them, two have left Nghệ An for work in the northern Bắc Giang Province, one other has tested positive for diphtheria.

Bắc Giang’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and its Hiệp Hòa District Health Centre identified 15 other people who have been in contact with the positive case for testing. Eight of them have tested negative for the virus as of Tuesday morning.

Diphtheria is transmitted through the respiratory tract.

Speaking to Sức khỏe & Đời sống (Health & Life) newspaper, Dr Nguyễn Văn Thương, deputy director of Nghệ An Department of Health said that upon receiving the news from Nghệ An Friendship General Hospital of a possible diphtheria infection, the department ordered immediate sample collection for testing at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

The provincial CDC was also ordered to send a rapid response team to Kỳ Sơn District to assist in disease inspection and control and identify people who came into close contact with the patient.

Thương said: “Nghệ An health sector is working with authorities of other localities involved in this case to take disease prevention and control measures, monitoring the situation and taking samples.

“Those who have come into contact with the positive case or showed symptoms such as sore throat, cough or fever are given prophylactic antibiotics and guidelines for at-home treatment.

“Announcements are also being broadcast on the public speaker system to boost people’s awareness of diphtheria. We also provide diphtheria vaccines for those who are eligible but have not received their doses.”

On Monday, Nghệ An health department also issued an urgent document to increase monitoring for early detection of diphtheria cases, alongside guidelines for prompt isolation of infections for effective response and prevention of widespread outbreaks.

Communication at the grassroots level also increases for proactive actions among local people.

Families are also encouraged to bring their children to health centres for timely and complete vaccination. Hygiene practices are also being promoted in school.

Those who are not included in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation are recommended to get their vaccine for diphtheria at on-demand vaccination points.

The goal is that all children, including those who are not permanent residents, are fully vaccinated. The vaccination rate should be over 95 per cent in all wards, communes and towns, especially in remote areas where healthcare access is still limited.

Local authorities must ensure proper hospitalisation, emergency care and treatment for potential or positive cases of diphtheria to prevent cross-infection in medical facilities and minimise the chances of fatality.

Medical supplies and medicines have been readied in case of any possible outbreaks.

In addition to disinfection and distancing measures in areas where infections have been detected, authorities also advocate practising hygiene and provide information on the disease in multiple languages, including those of ethnic minorities.

Nghệ An’s challenge in preventing diphtheria is that most of its population is located in remote areas and has limited knowledge of the disease.

Nghệ An health department’s deputy director Thương recommended that those who come into contact with a positive case or experience symptoms such as sore throat, cough, shortness of breath or fever must immediately go to the local health station for examination and treatment, rather than self-medicating at home. 

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes