The Indonesian Embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnam-Indonesia Friendship Association (VIFA) held an event in Hanoi on May 31 to introduce Indonesia’s traditional fabric dyeing technique called Batik.

Considered one of the cultural symbols of Indonesia, Batik is a traditional wax-resist dyeing and printing technique on fabric. Several historical records trace the origin of Batik back to the Srivijaya empire in Indonesia through trade activities with the Tang Dynasty of China.

On October 2, 2009, Batik was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and Indonesia also designated the day as National Batik Day.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, VIFA President Tran Minh Hung said the event was part of cultural exchange activities to enhance mutual understanding between the two countries' people on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam-Indonesia strategic partnership (2013-2023).

Young Vietnamese participants had a chance to experience each stage of creating Batik fabric, such as sketching with pencils, drawing with wax and dyeing. They also drew patterns on fabric with wax under the guidance of experienced Batik artist Ira Ratna Handayani.

Three most beautifully drawn fabric pieces were also honoured.

Practical policies needed to ensure social welfare for workers: NA deputies

National Assembly (NA) deputies are calling for practical policies to ensure social welfare for workers whose lives are affected as their employers are facing difficulties.

Tuyên Quang Province’s NA Deputy Ma Thị Thúy said that the number of enterprises going out of business has increased by 25.1 per cent compared to the previous year, equivalent to 77,000 companies.

On average, 19,200 businesses leave the market each month. Approximately 149,000 people also lost their job in the first quarter of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 39,000 people.

Slow disbursement of public investment, dwindling consumption and decreased number of orders are some of the reasons for this situation, she said.

She also agrees with the Government’s decision not to adjust the growth target of 6.5 per cent in 2023, while maintaining macro-economic stability and controlling inflation.

Thúy believed that the fastest and most effective solutions are fiscal tools to provide direct support for businesses.

The NA and Government also need to be more determined in resolving bottlenecks related to policies and guidelines, she added.

Trần Thị Vân, an NA deputy from Bắc Ninh Province, gave high regard to the VAT reduction of 2 per cent for enterprises and the social housing support packages for workers.

However, she noted that the disbursement of this assistance remains very slow.

The support packages should be streamlined for implementation and extended to 2025, so that the Government’s goal of building one million social houses will be met.

Citing that job loss can be considered the biggest threat to the livelihoods of workers and their dependents, Hải Dương Province’s NA deputy Đinh Thị Ngọc Dung said that it is crucial to have practical policies in place now to ensure social welfare.

In addition to promptly perfecting the legal framework, policymakers need to put workers at the core and their well-being should be considered a quality criteria of policies in implementation.

She added that the Government should also look into developing a reserve fund with a long-term vision to support laid-off workers, which is also expected to reduce the burden on traditional social welfare funds.

NA deputies on Wednesday also discussed life insurance after multiple customer complaints were published in the news recently.

Nguyễn Thị Thủy, an NA deputy from Bắc Kạn Province, said that multiple news articles have pointed out the risks and misleading clauses in the insurance contracts.

She added that while life insurance is a helpful product that provides assistance during hardship, buyers will loss their future investment and protection if they do not receive proper consultancy.

According to the Insurance Association of Vietnam, one of the problems that arose in 2022 is the deliberate spreading of false information on insurance.

Thủy added that only around 11 per cent of the Vietnamese population participates in life insurance, while this figure is 38 per cent in the Philippines, 50 per cent in Malaysia and 90 per cent in the US.

Life insurance requires transparency from both participating parties to result in benefits, Thủy said.

She recommended that the Ministry of Finance conduct a comprehensive inspection of life insurance, especially the model that is linked to different forms of investment.

The Ministry of Public Security should also verify whether there are signs of fraud in the sector.

Insurance companies must also review their entire process, from contract designing, consultation, contract signing and resolving customer complaints, she added.

Vietnam, El Salvador step up people-to-people exchanges

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) expects to coordinate with the Embassy of El Salvador in Vietnam in implementing exchange activities to cultivate friendship and effective cooperation between the people of the two nations, VUFO President Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga said on May 31.

While receiving Ambassador of El Salvador Ruben Omar Orozco Burgo in Hanoi, Nga congratulated the guest on being appointed as Ambassador of El Salvador to Vietnam, hoping that he will actively contribute to promoting the friendship between the two peoples.

Nga also said Vietnam and El Salvador are geographically far away but share a good friendship. Vietnam thanked the people of El Salvador for their support for its past struggle for national independence, freedom, and reunification as well as national construction and development today.

She expressed her wish that the VUFO and the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador will serve as a bridge linking the two nations' organisations and businesses.

Ambassador Ruben Omar Orozco Burgo said that the opening of the Embassy of El Salvador in Hanoi on February 15, 2023 is an important milestone in the relations between the two countries.

The diplomat believed that ties with Vietnam are the foundation for El Salvador to strengthen exchanges with countries in Southeast Asia, adding that his country will support Vietnam to expand its market in Central America.

He said that El Salvador wishes to learn from Vietnam's experience and cooperate with the country in economic development. citing the two countries can join hands in boosting coffee exports.

Vietnam and El Salvador established diplomatic relations on January 16, 2010. The two countries have many strengths and potential that can complement each other, especially in agriculture, fisheries, science and technology, and telecommunications. In 2022, two-way trade reached nearly 116.9 million USD.

The two sides have maintained coordination and mutual support at international organisations, especially at the United Nations

HCMC mobilizing diverse funding sources for urban flooding control

Heavy rain causes flooding on Nguyen Van Khoi Street in Go Vap District (Photo: SGGP)

The rain on May 21 resulted in severe flooding of up to 40cm in various streets in Thu Duc City, Go Vap District, and Binh Tan District. A similarly heavy rain three days ago led to the same consequences.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ho Long Phi, former Head of the Institute of Water and Climate Change (under Vietnam National University-HCM) who has over 20 years studying urban flooding measures, informed that this state is not at all new to HCMC. He added that 10 years ago, the city identified 150 hot spots of urban flooding, mostly in the downtown districts of 1, 3, 4. At that time, HCMC allocated over VND50 trillion (US$2.13 billion) from Official Development Assistant (ODA) loans to launch renovation projects for the canals of Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe, Tan Hoa – Lo Gom, Tau Hu – Ben Nghe as practical solutions.

However, as the money quickly depleted, it was impossible to cover outskirt districts like Thu Duc City, Go Vap District, Binh Tan District, District 12. This financial shortage also leads to tardiness in current urban flooding control projects. Mobilizing social resources for this aspect, especially water supply and drainage, seems hopeless as there is little chance of capital recovery after the completion of such projects. this has become an unequal confrontation between urbanization and developing suitable drainage systems.

Dr. Phi also explained the reason why high-ground areas still suffer from this flooding after heavy rain, saying that urbanization has prevented rainwater from seeping into underground water routes or running into rivers via sewer systems. For instance, the land along Nguyen Van Khoi Street of Go Vap District used to be empty, making it easy for rainwater to move. At present, houses and functional buildings are obstructing this flow, along with an unfinished drainage system to Tham Luong Canal, it is not hard to see flooding after each rainfall.

He stressed that there must be feasible solutions to attract social resources to upgrading and synchronizing the city’s drainage systems. This means a balance in spending – revenue in order to have sufficient money for the system’s operation and maintenance. It is advised to collect drainage fees like other countries have done.

It is worth mentioning that HCMC has implemented a VND-10-trillion project to fight against urban flooding due to high tides; yet until now, the project has not completed.

From a different perspective, Chief Nguyen Duc Vu of the Office of the HCMC Commanding Committee for Civil Defense, Disaster Prevention and Rescue (under the HCMC Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) stated that urban flooding in HCMC is affected by various factors like climate change and consequent harsher weather, rising sea level.

The latest water level at Phu An Station is 1.77m and is predicted to grow higher. The total precipitation in the last few years has not changed much, yet rain intensity to reach 100mm happens more frequently. This has, in a short time, created an overloading state among drainage systems. Meanwhile, existing irrigation works cannot satisfy the demands from these objective factors.

Chief Vu commented that the management tasks for rivers and canals in HCMC are not consistent. There should be a focal unit to take charge of this duty instead of decentralizing it to different departments and state agencies now.

Monitoring data from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry reveal that certain areas in HCMC show signs of ground subsidence, inevitably affecting the current urban flooding status. Moreover, many tidal control systems have been running for over 10 years without much maintenance while new ones are still being slowly built owing to a lack of capital.

Once more Dr. Vu insisted that a synchronous solution is critical here, ranging from strictly handling acts of encroaching the drainage systems and canals, more effectively managing urbanization, to finding sufficient investments for infrastructure upgrades.

Director Vu Van Diep of the HCMC Center for Technical Infrastructure Management (under the Construction Department) reported that the streets regularly suffering from urban flooding include Nguyen Huu Canh (Binh Thanh District); Ba Van, Truong Cong Dinh, Bau Cat (Tan Binh District); Phan Anh, Ho Hoc Lam (Binh Tan District); Le Duc Tho, Quang Trung (Go Vap District); Bach Dang (Binh Thanh District); Nguyen Van Khoi, Thao Dien, Quoc Huong, Nguyen Van Huong, Duong Van Cam Dang Thi Ranh, Kha Van Can (Thu Duc City).

Director Diep said that to solve this problem, HCMC is renovating its drainage systems on these streets and building new ones in the Eastern part of the city. Simultaneously, the first stage of Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe wastewater treatment plant construction is being completed, the second stage of capacity upgrading for Binh Hung wastewater treatment plant is being carried out, and investors in other treatment plants are called upon.

Also, HCMC is launching a series of key projects for this aspect, such as dealing with flooding due to high tides taking into account climate change, building infrastructure and renovating the environment along Tham Luong – Ben Cat – Nuoc Len Canals, and upgrading the rainwater sewer systems.

According to the Urban Flooding Control Program for the 2021-2025 Period, HCMC is going to address flooding due to rain and high tide on 13 routes and 7 routes, respectively. This plan immediately encounters obstacles from the Covid-19 pandemic and financial shortages as there is a lack of suitable mechanisms to attract investors.

Ha Giang Party Committee has new Acting Secretary

The Politburo has assigned Nguyen Manh Dung, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Ha Giang province to hold the position of Acting Secretary of the provincial Party Committee during the 2020-2025 tenure.

Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member, Secretary of Party Central Committee and head of its Organisation Commission handed over the Politburo's decision to Dung on May 31.

He will hold the position until the Politburo completes the organisation of the Party Committee of Ha Giang.

Dung, born in 1973 in Nhan Khang commune, Ly Nhan district of Ha Nam province, has been Deputy Secretary of the Ha Giang Party Committee since November 28, 2017.

Voters hails Government’s efforts in economic management

Following the discussions on the results of the socio-economic development plan in 2022 and the first months of 2023 during the 15th National Assembly (NA)’s fifth plenary session, voters have highly valued the efforts that the Government and the Prime Minister have made in managing the national economy and speeding up economic recovery and development.

Nguyen Thuan Quang, a resident of Hanoi’s Cau Giay district, said that despite numerous difficulties in 2022, Vietnam still managed to maintain macro-economic stability and major economic balances, completing 13 out of 15 targets set for the year.

Showing his concern about negative impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflicts, high global inflation and petrol price hike on the domestic economy, Quang said he hopes to Government and the PM will seek measures to support businesses in recovering production, promote growth and ensure employment and incomes for labourers.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Phan Tien from Hanoi’s Gia Lam district held that human resources quality is key to socio-economic development.

He suggested the increase of State budget for education and the socialisation of education with more support for private education facilities to ensure sustainable education development and social equality.

During the discussion on May 31, NA deputies gave many ideas on how to effectively implement the socio-economic development and State budget plan.

Ha Duc Minh, a deputy of Lao Cai province, pointed to the slow disbursement of capital for three national target programmes in the 2021-2025 period, which affects the efficiency of the programmes.

Minh proposed that the NA and Government to consider the allocation of non-business capital to the programmes for the entire period, like public investment, to localities so that they could be more proactive in planning and implementing the programmes.

The deputy held that one of the major reason behind the slow implementation of the programmes is problems in ground clearance.

Alongside, the Government should direct relevant agencies to build a framework for evaluating the programmes' results and effectiveness, laying a foundation for localities to assess their own performance in the work, he said.

163 Vietnamese athletes depart for ASEAN Para Games 12

As many as 163 members of the Vietnamese sporting delegation, consisting of officials, coaches, and athletes departed for the ASEAN Para Games 12 on May, with the competition set to be held in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh from June 3 to June 9.

The Vietnamese team will compete in of eight sports out of total 13 sports being played at the Games, including track-and-field, swimming, weightlifting, badminton, table tennis, chess, judo, and boccia.

Vietnamese players aim to finish among the top four in the final medal tally at the ASEAN Para Games 2023 with up to 55 gold medals.

According to Nguyen Hong Minh, head of the Vietnamese delegation at the tournament, ASEAN Para Games 12 represents a fierce competition that gathers together a huge number of top athletes from around the region.

He noted that this will mark a great opportunity for Vietnamese athletes to show their extraordinary will, confidence and energy in order to overcome difficulties in life to practice and compete.

Simultaneously, they can affirm their desire to win, integrate, and contribute to national sport, Minh added.

This year the ASEAN Para Games has all 11 Southeast Asian countries participating, with about 2,600 members, of which there are 1,400 athletes.

The Games will take place at the Morodok Techo Stadium, the Olympic Stadium, and some other competition venues throughout Phnom Penh.

HCM City hospital offers free gastroesophageal reflux disease screening

HCM City-based Bình Dân Hospital is offering free gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) examinations and consultations for people aged 16 and above from 7am to 11:30am every Saturday until the end of the year.

The offer began on May 27 at the hospital at No. 326 Điện Biên Phủ Street in District 10.

It aims to help patients with GERD be diagnosed early and treated in a timely manner, according to a recent announcement from the hospital.

The participants will receive an in-depth examination by gastroenterologists at the hospital to discover the physical causes (if any) and factors affecting their health.

Then they will get medical advice from doctors about living and eating to control the disease and treatment instructions.

In particular, the hospital doctors will consult with a professor of gastroenterology from the US-based University of California, Irvine, to have an effective treatment plan for patients.

Test subjects are those who have been diagnosed with GERD, or have common symptoms such as heartburn, acid reflux, chest or epigastric pain, and trouble swallowing.

They must call the hospital hotline 19007123 for registration.

GERD is a condition in which changes in the gastroesophageal valve prevent it from closing, allowing stomach juices, including acid and bile, to back up into the esophagus.

The disease is common globally. It occurs in about 20 per cent of American adults, according to a 2022 study.

According to the Việt Nam Internal Medicine Association, about seven million Vietnamese people had gastroesophageal reflux disease in 2022, of which about 60 per cent were not treated promptly, leading to complications such as esophageal stricture and esophageal cancer.

GERD tends to occur in people with obesity, chronic stress, peptic ulcers, unhealthy eating habits, and the use of some medications.

People with GERD can suffer from the symptoms of the disease for life if left untreated.

The disease also causes many discomforts for patients such as sore throat, heartburn, bad breath, persistent cough, breathing difficulty and chest tightness.

However, the above symptoms often overlap in many other diseases of the digestive tract, ear, nose and throat. 

Three beauties to represent Vietnam at Miss Sake International 2023

The top three of Miss Sake Vietnam 2023 are set to travel to Japan this June in order to participate in the Miss Sake International pageant.

The three local representatives at Miss Sake International 2023 were announced during the grand final of Miss Sake Vietnam which was held on May 28 at the Mikazuki Japanese Da Nang Hotel in Da Nang.

Pham Thien Nga, 24, from Hanoi surpassed 17 other finalists to be crowned Miss Sake Vietnam 2023. The first and second runner-up titles went to Ha Thi Cam Le and Luu An Phuong.

A total of 17 finalists competed in the Japanese kimono and Vietnamese Ao Dai (traditional long dress) segments on May 28.

The final night also featured talent showcases, as well as presentations put on by the finalists.

This marks the first time that Miss Sake has been held in the country for all single women between the ages of 18 and 40.

The purpose of the event is to celebrate the full beauty of Vietnamese women, select an inspiring face to represent the nation at international pageants, and to strengthen existing ties between the country and Japan.

This year's function aims to mark the 50th anniversary since the original establishment of diplomatic relations between both sides, an event which occurred back in 1973. The qualification round was held in April and May, with 17 contestants being chosen to progress to the final round of Miss Sake Vietnam 2023.

Each year sees the Miss Sake competition seek representatives who will be responsible for promoting Japanese history and culture through sake, with the event currently in its 10th year in Japan and other countries.

French newspapers praise Vietnamese-French filmmakers

French newspapers heaped praise on Vietnamese-French filmmaker Tran Anh Hung and young Vietnamese director Pham Thien An after they won awards at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival that closed in France on May 27.

The Le Monde daily said along with the main cast, Hung has made a mark with a highly artistic film about cuisine and the art of living. The film not only portrays a love story in the end of the 19th century but also celebrates the art of fine dining in the French style.   

Meanwhile, the Le Figaro daily compared the portrayal of the characters in Hung's "La Passion de Dodin Bouffant" to the performance of Catherine Deneuve in the iconic French film "Peau d'âne" or the outstanding performance of Stéphane Audran in the film "Festin de Babette" which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1988.

Recalling Hung's success with the film "The Scent of Green Papaya" (L'Odeur de la papaye verte), which earned him the Golden Camera award in 1993, the article's author believed that "La passion de Dodin Bouffant" will surely satisfy food enthusiasts, who are abundant in France.

Born in 1962 in the central city of Da Nang, Hung has affirmed his reputation in European and international cinema. He has established himself as the Vietnamese-born film director to win the most international awards so far.

Meanwhile, the Libération daily compares the award-winning film "Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell" by Vietnamese writer/director Pham Thien An to a remarkable epic in the Vietnamese countryside. It said An's debut feature film deserves the Golden Camera award thanks to its astonishing cinematography by a 34-year-old Vietnamese filmmaker who was trained through small wedding videography jobs and received assistance from a group of friends who were mostly self-taught in the process, including director Dinh Duy Hung. 

The Daily Screen website wrote that An knows exactly what he needs to capture to convey the story to the audience.

The French-language magazine Gavroche in Thailand commented that it is never easy for a young filmmaker to make an appearance in a prestigious and professional event like the Cannes International Film Festival. However, An, at only 34 years old, has emerged as a phenomenon, one of the most beautiful discoveries of the event which has always been a platform for seasoned filmmakers in terms of age and experience. 

An was born in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong in 1989. He has bagged a number of awards, including the 48 Hours Film Project in Ho Chi Minh City and top prize at the CJ Short Film Making Project, one of the top short film contests in Vietnam.

Vietnam set to play friendly against Syria during upcoming FIFA Days

The Vietnamese national team will take on Syria in a friendly match on June 20 at the Thien Truong stadium in the northern province of Nam Dinh, as part of FIFA Days.

Syria are ranked 90th globally and are five places higher than Vietnam who sit at 95th in the FIFA men’s rankings.

The West Asian side have plenty of talented football stars such as Abdul Weiss, Oliver Kawo, Amma Ramadan, and Simon Amin playing in Europe.

The Syrian team are led by coach Hector Cuper who has worked for many famous European clubs such as Valencia, Inter Milan, Real Betis, and Parma.

At the 2023 Asian Cup, Syria have been placed in the third seed group along with Vietnam, Bahrain, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, and Lebanon.

According to the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), on June 15 the Vietnamese squad will play a friendly against Hong Kong (China) at the Lach Tray stadium in Hai Phong.

Both matches will be held on FIFA Days – a tournament to help Vietnam gain points in the FIFA men’s rankings ahead of global tournaments.

Chief coach Philippe Troussier plans to call up Vietnamese footballers playing abroad to prepare for upcoming friendly matches. Quang Hai of Pau FC, Cong Phuong of Yokohama FC, and Van Toan of Seoul E-Land will return and join local players for the friendlies.

The upcoming friendly fixtures have been arranged by the VFF for the senior team to prepare for the qualifiers to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

Vietnam will play in World Cup qualifiers on November 13 and November 21. The senior team will gather together on June 7 after the 11th round of the V.League 1 concludes.

Quang Ngai public hospitals face shortage of doctors

Many doctors are leaving public hospitals and seeking employment in private hospitals in the central province of Quang Ngai. 

Son Tinh District has a total of 170,000 people but has just 29 doctors working at the district's healthcare centre.

Director of the centre Vo Thanh Tan, said that low public healthcare salaries are the main reason for many workers moving to larger or private hospitals.

"Three more doctors left us in 2021 and 2022 while we've been unable to employ new doctors," Tan said. "We've always overloaded with work due to personnel shortages."

According to Tan, it costs a lot to train a doctor but public healthcare facility pay is low, which fails to attract competent doctors.

At the neighbouring district of Tu Nghia, seven doctors have also resigned at the local healthcare centre since 2021.

Director of Tu Nghia Healthcare Centre, Dang Van Diem, said it was experienced doctors who had worked at the centre for a long time that had resigned.

Statistics showed that public hospitals and healthcare centres in Quang Ngai employed 254 doctors between 2013-2018. These facilities however lost 120 doctors between 2018-2023.

To solve the problems, director of Quang Ngai Provincial Department of Health, Pham Minh Duc, said that the first thing was to invest more in public hospitals in order to raise the quality of treatment.

Vietnam considers declaring end to COVID-19 pandemic

The Prime Minister is scheduled to chair a meeting of the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control this week in order to examine if Vietnam should declare an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, said Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.

Lan told lawmakers at their ongoing National Assembly session in Hanoi on May 29 that the Ministry of Health, authorised by the Prime Minister, is collaborating with other ministries and agencies to review legal provisions, learn about COVID-19 control experiences from other countries, and evaluate practical prevention and control measures locally.

The Ministry is now working on a document to downgrade COVID-19 from a Class A infectious disease, classified as ‘especially dangerous’ to Class B ‘common’.

She recalled that the World Health Organisation announced in early May that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, although it warned that the disease is not over yet.

According to Associate Professor Nguyen Lan Hieu, director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital, Vietnam is eligible to declare an end to the pandemic on the conditions that there are very few severe infections and the vaccine coverage rate is on a large scale. In addition, the disease has entered into the ‘stable’ stage in the world.

However, some other health professionals remain cautious about the outlook, saying though the country has relaxed travel restrictions, the SARS-CoV-2 virus can still travel on healthy people in nature and overcome administrative barriers to spread among the community, not to mention the constant mutation of the virus.

Immunity to COVID-19 will decrease from time to time, and the disease may potentially break out in one area to another, says Prof. and Dr. Phan Trong Lan, head of the Preventive Medicine Department under the Ministry of Health.

Sharing this perspective, senior epidemiologist Tran Dac Phu says that no matter how COVID-19 is classified as a Class A or Class B disease, it is extremely important to assess the risk and come up with appropriate response measures in order to ensure disease control and good medical care for all people.

Currently, Vietnam is recording several hundreds of COVID-19 infections each day. 

HCMC to improve public administration reform index

HCMC authorities have rolled out a plan to improve the city’s public administration reform index (PAR index) and residential and business satisfaction with public services this year.

The city People’s Committee has assigned departments, agencies of districts and Thu Duc City to build a plan to improve their PAR indexes and report to the HCMC Department of Home Affairs by the end of this month.

For the forecast of PAR index outcomes in 2023, the Departments of Home Affairs, Finance, Justice, Planning and Investment, Information and Communications and the city People’s Committee office are tasked with reporting the forecasts of outcomes within the sectors they are in charge of, prior to September 30, to the city People’s Committee.

The Department of Home Affairs will take responsibility for collecting forecasts of rating of PAR indexes from departments and agencies, while coordinating with the city People’s Committee office to evaluate and forecast 2023 PAR indexes in October 2023.

Departments and agencies of districts and Thu Duc City are required to keep the officers, residents and businesses updated on the importance of the public administration reform, review and actively arrange organization structures, personnel reduction and public non-business unit downsizing.

Competent authorities need to strengthen inspection over compliance of disciplines, administrative orders, rules of behaviors of officials, leaders of agencies and enhance the simplification of administrative procedures and online public services.

Frequent meetings and dialogues between the administration and residents and businesses to get their feedback are also needed to rectify defects and shortcomings in a timely manner.

Smoking causes around 60,000 cancer cases in Vietnam

Tobacco use is a major risk factor for respiratory infections and non-communicable diseases. Smoking is estimated to cause 60,000 cancer cases in Vietnam each year, Vice Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan emphasized at a yesterday workshop.

The Ministry of Health yesterday held a workshop to implement its Circular No. 11/2023/TT-BYT dated May 11, 2023, on regulations on the implementation of the smoking ban and consideration for giving Tobacco-Free Environment awards.

At the workshop, Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan stated that tobacco is the only legal product that kills half of the smokers in the world. Tobacco use is responsible for more than 8 million deaths globally each year. Of these, more than 7 million people died from direct tobacco use and about 1.2 million died from passive smoking.

It is the leading risk factor for people's health in developing countries and causes 25 different diseases. Currently, around the world, about 21,000 people die every day, and one person on average dies every four seconds from tobacco-related diseases.

Tobacco use is a major risk factor for respiratory infections and especially a leading cause of non-communicable diseases. Smoking is estimated to cause 60,000 cancer cases in Vietnam each year, Deputy Minister Tran Van Thuan said.

In addition to harmful health effects, tobacco use also causes economic losses to individuals, families and society. In particular, there has been a growing trend in tobacco consumption in developing countries. Currently, Vietnam is still in the group of countries with the highest number of smokers in the world. Among ASEAN countries, Vietnam is the third country with the highest number of smokers, after Indonesia and the Philippines.

To prevent the harmful effects of tobacco, the Circular No. 11/2023/TT-BYT stipulates that people are prohibited to smoke in several places. The implementation of the smoking ban will take effect from August 1. Smoking will be banned in medical facilities, educational institutions, establishments where children are residing and entertaining; premises or areas with a high risk of fire and explosion, indoor workplaces of state administrative agencies, public non-business organizations, indoor areas of public places, and on public transport means.

59 beauties shortlisted for 2023 Miss World Vietnam

The organization board of the 2023 Miss World Vietnam beauty contest just revealed a list of 59 contestants who have been selected, after the preliminary stages, to compete in the short-listed round of the pageant held in HCMC from May 24 -June 11.

The beauties will show their talent to compete for minor titles, including Miss Tourism, Miss Talent, Miss Sport, Miss Sea, and Beauty with a Purpose.

Additionally, contestants will participate in exchanges promoting historical sites and tourist destinations of the country.

In the competition of “Miss Tourism”, contestants will create video clips to promote images of the country on social networks. Five with the best performances will have an opportunity to join the tourism advertising activities of Binh Dinh Province.

They will also implement from four to six inspirational community projects to get the “Beauty with a Purpose” award.

On the same day, Miss World Vietnam 2022 Huynh Nguyen Mai Phuong launched her fashion brand, “Yako by Mai Phuong”, a nonprofit aiming at raising funds for charity projects.

In addition, Phuong and associates plan to establish laundry services located near hospitals in HCMC to create jobs for relatives of poor patients with long-term treatment.

The 2023 Miss World Vietnam beauty contest was kicked off in HCMC on March 29. The final night is scheduled to take place in Quy Nhon City in the central coastal province of Binh Dinh in July.

The Miss World Vietnam beauty contest was held for the first time in 2019, aiming at looking for a Vietnamese representative for the Miss World beauty pageant. Women aged 18 to 27 who are at least 1.65m tall and have had no cosmetic surgery are eligible to enter the contest. Participation is limited to unmarried women who have never given birth or parented a child.

Bicycles contribute to green city development in Vietnam

The Urban Bicycle Infrastructure Design Technical Guide, the first in Vietnam, is based on lessons learned from recent bicycle infrastructure and road safety projects in Vietnamese cities and contributes to green city development.

It is heard at the launching ceremony jointly held by the Ministry of Construction (MoC) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in Hanoi on May 29.

According to Daniel Herrmann, chief technical advisor for the Support to Vietnam for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement, Phase II project, The guide will make cycling safer and more comfortable for people and promote cycling as an everyday travel option for people in Vietnam.

Retno Wihanesta, Senior Program Lead for Urban Transport Planning at the World Resources Institute, said the technical guideline for bicycle infrastructure design is an important step towards achieving sustainable urban mobility in the country.

Nguyen Thi An, Vietnam Country Director, HealthBridge, stressed that cycling is good for health and well-being and can also help reduce pollution and emissions as a sustainable transportation method.

For his part, Ta Quang Vinh, Director General of the Vietnam Administration of Technical Infrastructure (ATI) under the MoC, stressed that the guideline provides both theoretical and technical solutions to problems related to bicycle facilities, which are in line with the newly issued standard 13592:2022 Urban Roads - Design Requirements in Vietnam.

Hanoi launches Action Month for Children 2023

The family, the school, and the community are the three main pillars of society that are conducive to developing healthy and happy children in the community.

 The launch ceremony of Action Month for Children in Hanoi 2023 with the theme “Joining hands to reduce harm to children” is held on May 29 at the Friendship Palace of Culture and Labour.

The ceremony was attended by Nguyen Thi Tuyen, Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, city leaders, and 500 children representing more than 1.9 million living in the capital.

She also called on Hanoi residents to enthusiastically respond to the Hanoi 2023 Action Month for Children with concrete, practical, and meaningful deeds for children.

These vulnerable children need the help of both local authorities and society, of which family, school, and community are the three "main pillars," according to Ha.

On occasion, the Hanoi People's Committee issued the "Action Plan for Children 2023" with nine content groups and 17 tasks, urging authorities in Hanoi's districts and towns to effectively implement it before, during, and after the "Action Month for Children" event.

In addition, at the launch ceremony of Action Month for Children in Hanoi 2023, leaders of the central government, Hanoi and Hoan Kiem District handed over 25 bicycles and gifts, as well as 40 scholarships to disadvantaged children with good academic performance in the past school year, and 150 scholarships and gifts to children living in orphanages in Hanoi City.

Vitamin A campaign to start from June 1

The Ministry of Health will launch a nationwide Vitamin A campaign for about six million children between 6 to 59 months from June 1.
The campaign will take place in 22 mountainous provinces in which children between six and 59 months of age will get free vitamin A supplements and kids from 24-59 months of age will receive periodic deworming.

In the rest of 41 provinces and cities, children between six and 35 months of age will get free vitamin A supplements.  

Micronutrient deficiency is a persistent health problem in Viet Nam, and requires proper attention and more investment from the Government.

On Micronutrient Day on June 6, dissemination and educational activities will be held nationwide to raise public awareness of good nutrition and promote food hygiene and safety.

Localities in Mekong Delta augment efforts against IUU fishing

In efforts to persuade the European Commission to lift the “yellow card” warning, localities in the Mekong Delta have been taking strong and concerted measures to eradicate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and help the fisheries sector develop sustainably.

In Soc Trang province, the Sub-department of Fisheries said it has coordinated with the provincial Department of Information and Communications to step up checking vessel monitoring systems (VMS) installed on fishing boats and asked VMS suppliers to make timely repair if there are any breakdowns.

So far, all fishing vessels over 15m long in Soc Trang have been equipped with smoothly operating VMS.

The province’s Border Guard Command has also ordered local border guard posts to intensify the dissemination of the 2017 Law on Fisheries and others to fishermen. As a result, 368 vessels operating in deep-sea areas have signed commitments not to violating foreign waters as well as anti-IUU fishing regulations. Vessels departing from or arriving at fishing ports have also properly complied with the declaration and logbook-related rules.

Meanwhile, to join hands with all-level authorities and sectors to curb and put an end to IUU fishing, the information and education board of the Kien Giang provincial Party Committee has coordinated with the Naval Region 4 Command to boost law communications to local officials, Party members, and fishermen. 

In Phu Quoc city of Kien Giang, the local administration issued a plan on coordination with other district-level localities in this province and the provincial fisheries sub-department to conduct patrols, examination, and settlement of violating vessels.

Doan Van Tien, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said Phu Quoc will press on with popularising legal regulations, including the Law on Fisheries and related issues, in the public, especially vessel owners, captains, and fishermen, so as to strongly fight IUU fishing.

The administration will continue to require forces, organisations, Party committees, and authorities to carry out strong and concerted actions to prevent fishing vessels and fishermen from infringing foreign waters, including ramping up patrols, stringently dealing with violations, and enhancing management of vessels, particularly those operating in deep-sea areas.

In Ca Mau, the chairperson of the provincial People’s Committee also requested departments, sectors, and localities to promote communications about anti-IUU fishing rules while increasing patrol and examination to detect and handle violations, especially those related to VMS installation and foreign waters.

Relevant parties were told to deal with the cadres failing to fulfill their duties in this regard and thoroughly prepare statistics and documents as well as personnel to serve coming meetings with the EC inspection delegation.

Performing duties on the southwestern waters of Vietnam, Naval Region 5 has worked closely with the border guard, fisheries resources surveillance, coast guard forces, fisheries sub-departments of localities, along with communal-level People’s Committees to encourage vessel owners seriously adhere to legal regulations on fisheries.

Rear Admiral Nguyen Dang Tien, Political Commissar of Naval Region 5, said the naval region will maintain close coordination with relevant localities to boost law dissemination in the community, especially fishermen, adding that its officers and soldiers will make the most practical contributions to the combat against IUU fishing in the southwestern waters.

Hanoi to provide vitamin A to nearly 400,000 children

Nearly 400,000 children aging from 6-35 months in Hanoi will receive vitamin A during a campaign from June 1 – 2, according to the municipal Department of Health.

The campaign aims to give vitamin A to 99.8 percent of its children from 6-35 months old in two phases in June and December this year.

Additionally, over 95% of children under five years old will be weighed and measured to assess the prevalence of underweight, stunting, emaciation and overweight/obesity.

Vice Director of the department Vu Cao Cuong has asked for careful preparation for the campaign, stressing the importance to conduct screening before administering doses of vitamin A to children.

Medical staff giving vitamin A to children must ensure they follow the correct technique, and administer it to the appropriate target group with prescribed dosage, Cuong said.

Inspection teams will be established to assess the preparation and implementation of the campaign activities within the Micronutrient Day (June 1-2) in the city, he added.

World No-Tobacco Day: Ensuring rights to smoke-free environment

Amid the increasing use of tobacco, especially e-cigarettes, Vietnam has rolled out measures to minimise tobacco harms.

The Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms has been implemented for 10 years with a number of achievements. However, Vietnam is still one of the 15 countries with the largest number of adult male smokers in the world, while the target set out in the Strategy on Prevention of Tobacco Harms to 2020 was not reached.

Deputy Health Minister Tran Van Thuan said that in recent years, products called e-cigarettes, heated cigarettes, and shisha have appeared. These products are currently not allowed to be imported, traded or circulated in the domestic market. However, they have still been advertised and traded illegally, especially on the Internet and among youngsters.

Doctor Le Hoan from the Hanoi Medical University Hospital said that e-cigarettes are very harmful to the health of both active and passive smokers due to chemicals used in e-cigarette production.

This year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chooses the theme “We need food, not tobacco” for the World No-Tobacco Day, aiming to call on countries to design policies and strategy as well as provide necessary support to alternative crop production and marketing opportunities for tobacco farmers and encourage them to grow sustainable, nutritious crops.

According to the WHO, nicotine contained in tobacco is highly addictive and tobacco use is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, over 20 different types or subtypes of cancer, and many other debilitating health conditions. Every year, more than 8 million people die from tobacco use. Most tobacco-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, which are often targets of intensive tobacco industry interference and marketing.

Smoking rates tend to increase in developing countries. Every day, approximately 21,000 people die and on average 1 person dies from smoking every 4 seconds.

Tobacco can also be deadly for non-smokers. Second-hand smoke exposure has also been implicated in adverse health outcomes, causing 1.2 million deaths annually. Nearly half of all children breathe air polluted by tobacco smoke and 65,000 children die each year due to illnesses related to second-hand smoke. Smoking while pregnant can lead to several life-long health conditions for babies. 

WHO estimates that the global economic loss caused by tobacco each year is 1.4 trillion USD. Globally, about 3.5 million hectares of land is converted to tobacco crops per year. Nine of the 10 largest tobacco-growing countries in the world are low- and middle-income countries, of which four are identified as being food deficient.

Every year, about 5% of the forest area is cleared to grow tobacco, as well as to get wood for tobacco drying. It is estimated that 18 billion trees are needed each year to make firewood for tobacco drying. Annually, the use of tobacco releases into the environment between 3,000 and 6,000 tons of formaldehyde (H2CO), along with 12,000 to 47,000 tonnes of nicotine, and from 300-600 million kilograms of toxic waste.

Responding to the World No-Tobacco Day (May 31), a national No-Tobacco Week have been held from May 25-31 with various activities in many localities to raise awareness of tobacco harms and reduce the percentage of smokers in the community. The activities include a marathon themed “Vietnamese youngster say no to e-cigarettes”.

The Ministry of Health has suggested the adjustment of the Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harms with the addition of regulations on "e-cigarette" and "heated tobacco" products to control and minimise the use of e-cigarettes and new generation cigarettes. 

Recently, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed a decision issuing a national strategy on tobacco harms prevention and control until 2030 with strong and synchronous measures to strengthen the efficiency of tobacco harm prevention and control efforts.

Under the strategy, Vietnam is striving to reduce the rate of tobacco use among males aged 15 and above to less than 36% in the 2023 – 2025 period.

The strategy also aims to reduce the rate of passive smoking at work to less than 30%, at restaurants to less than 75%, at bars and cafes to below 80%, and at hotels to below 60%. The figures are hoped to drop to below 25%, 65%, 70% and 50%, respectively, in the 2026-2030 period.

Thuan said that the implementation of the strategy aims to ensure the right of all people, especially non-smokers, to live, work and study in a smoke-free environment.

Techmart on education kicks off

The Center for Statistics and Science and Technology Information (CESTI) yesterday launched its Techmart themed ‘Digital Transformation in Educational Management and Training 2023’.
 
The Techmart is held at Techmart Daily (at the address of 79 Truong Dinh Street, Ben Thanh Ward of District 1) on May 30-31, 2023. This is an annual event held by CESTI (under the HCMC Department of Science and Technology) to introduce educational products from research institutes and businesses.

Techmart this year displays 100 technological products from 50 businesses and educational institutes. Most of them serve training and management tasks in the educational field, focusing on the three aspects of school management, regular training, and STEM education.

In the event, 20 seminars are organized to discuss the application of Chatbot and AI to create a virtual teacher, AI Camera solutions to monitor cheating in higher education exams, virtual reality in training, smart interactive solution in teaching science subjects, programming skills for children via 4.0 technologies.
 
In recent years, the educational field in HCMC has developed both in quantity and quality; hence, digital transformation in this field becomes one of the eight key missions of the city. The goal is to have all educational institutes provide distance learning services and 20 percent of all schools can learn on an online platform.

During these two days, Techmart experts are available to give advice and answer questions related to investment and development of digital transformation technology applications in the field of education.

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