The Vietnamese Ministry of Health reported at a high-level meeting on UHC of the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, 2019 that a primary healthcare system has been established from central to grassroots levels in Vietnam with more than 11,000 commune health centres, most of which have at least a doctor, a nurse and a midwife working based on the model of family medical practices.

The “Tracking Universal Health Coverage: 2017 Global Monitoring Report” jointly produced by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and World Bank (WB) also showed that Vietnam scored 73 out of the 100 points in service coverage delivery index, which was higher than Southeast Asia’s average of 59 and the global average of 64.

About 90 percent of the Vietnamese population is covered with health insurance and the government has subsidised fully the premiums for disadvantaged groups and those in difficult circumstances, and 70 percent of the premiums for the poor.

Vietnam would soon take the lead in UHC by building a firm foundation based on primary health care, with the participation of both public and private sectors.

The WB has also commended Vietnam’s efforts to reach UHC by 2030, notably in increasing health insurance coverage, raising premium subsidies for health insurance for the near-poor and those working in the informal sector, and stepping up the communication work in this regard, among others.

COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5-12 to arrive this weekend

The first nearly one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged five to 12, financed by the Australian government, are expected to arrive in Vietnam on April 9.

The inoculation will be conducted following vaccine assessment. The second and third batches are scheduled to arrive in Vietnam on April 13 and 18.

The Vietnamese government has decided to buy 21.9 million doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-12.

Previously, Vietnam had approved Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for use in children aged 5-11 years old.

Athletes training hard for SEA Games 31’s rowing, canoeing events

Rowers and canoers are training hard in anticipation of the competitions at the 31st Southeast Asian Games slated for May.

With the boat racing training area in northern port city of Hai Phong’s Thuy Nguyen district selected as the venue, athletes will compete from May 9-14, while canoeing events will take place from May 17-21.

Head coach of the canoeing team Can Anh Tuan said the squad has 46 members aged from 18 to 32 years old who will compete in 19 events of the sport.

Head coach of the 29-member rowing team Le Van Quang said that the athletes, aged from 18 to 29, are targeting five to six gold medals.

Ambassador meets World Evangelical Alliance chief in New York

At a meeting with Dr. phil. Thomas Schirrmacher, Secretary General & CEO of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) in New York on April 6, the diplomat noted that the policy is enshrined in the Constitution, the 2016 Law on Belief and Religion, and other relevant documents.

Therefore, religions in Vietnam, including Protestantism, have favourable conditions to develop healthily, contributing to national socio-economic stability and development, he continued.

Vietnam is home to more than 1 million Protestants in all of its 63 cities and provinces, and some 90 organisations and groups.

Giang also stressed that Vietnam stands ready to hold dialogues and cooperate with countries and organisations in issues regarding human rights and religious freedom, in the spirit of mutual respect and understanding.

The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry last month launched Vietnam's voluntary midterm report on the implementation of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) third cycle recommendations and announced the country's candidacy to the UN Human Rights Council in the 2023-2025 tenure, he stressed.

Miss Ethnic Vietnam beauty contest a ‘cultural ambassador’

The Miss Ethnic Vietnam 2022 pageant, seeking participation of young women from all 54 ethnic groups that populate the country, can become a cultural ambassador, organisers say.

Film producer and actress Truong Ngoc Anh, head of the organising board, told local media: “We expect the contest becomes a cultural ambassador that introduces the best of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam to the Vietnamese community in particular, and the world in general.”

The preliminary round will take place in Hanoi on April 27 and HCM City in May 7. 

The jury will select 45 candidates to participate in a reality TV show called “Nhung Doa Hoa Nang Mai” (Flowers in Morning Sun) to highlight the beauty, talent and friendliness of Vietnamese women, organisers said.

The show will be shot in HCM City, the coastal city of Phan Thiet and the Central Highlands city of Da Lat in order to promote Vietnam’s beautiful landscapes, culture and lifestyle.

During the final round in HCM City from July 12-16, the finalists will compete in the categories of traditional costumes, swimsuits, question-and-answer sessions and evening wear. The winner will represent Vietnam at the global Miss Earth 2022 pageant.

Vietnamese universities gain higher world rankings by subject

Vietnamese universities have earned greater reputation worldwide as more of their programmes have received recognition and higher rankings from the UK’s Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) this year.

The 2022 QS World University Rankings by Subject cover a total of 51 disciplines, grouped into five broad subject areas, namely Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences and Medicine, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences and Management.

The Vietnam National University (VNU), Hanoi gained recognition in six specific subject areas. It was placed in the group of 351 – 400 in Mathematics; 501 – 550 in Computer Science and Information Systems; and 451 – 500 in Engineering – Civil and Structural; Physics and Astronomy; Business and Management Studies; and Engineering – Electrical and Electronic.

The Hanoi University and Science and Technology (HUST) made it into five disciplines' rankings. The university was ranked in the group of 301 – 350 in Engineering – Electrical and Electronic, Engineering – Mechanical, and Engineering – Civil and Structural, up 100 spots from the previous ranking.

The university’s Computer Science and Information Systems climbed 150 places to rank in the group of 401 – 450.

This year marked the first time its Mathematics and Materials Sciences courses have been listed in the ranking, entering the 351 – 400 and 401 – 410 groups, respectively.

Overall, HUST ranked No.1 in Vietnam and 360th worldwide in Engineering and Technology.

The VNU, Ho Chi Minh City was available in seven subject areas’ rankings, including Modern Languages (251 – 300), Engineering – Electrical and Electronic (301 – 350), Engineering – Chemical (351 – 400), Computer Sciences and Information Systems (401 – 450), Mathematics (401 – 450), Chemistry (601 – 630). Notably, its ranking in Engineering – Petroleum advanced from last year’s 101 – 150 to 51 – 100 this year.

Vietnamese universities have shown strong performances in Engineering and Technology with five earning rankings in this area, including VNU-Hanoi, VNU-HCM, HUST, Duy Tan University and Ton Duc Thang University.

Contest honours cultural value of “Don ca tai tu”

Don ca tai tu (southern amateur music) Contest is being held in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, aiming to promote the value of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The contest, which will last until April 11, is co-organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the municipal People’s Committee with the participation of 21 troupes from localities in the southern region.

Considered one of the country’s main music genres, don ca tai tu originated from Hue court music and folk music of the southern region. It came into being in the 19th century, thrived in the early 20th century and remains an important part of the country’s traditional culture today.

The music is typically performed at festivals, commemoration rituals and celebrations by farmer-performers. Instrumentalists and singers express their feelings by improvising based on 20 principal and 72 classical songs.

The art was listed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2013 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

President attends inauguration ceremony of Hung Kings Temple in Can Tho

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said he expected Hung Kings Temple in Can Tho to create a connection with a similar temple in the North and become a tourism highlight in the Mekong Delta region. 

The construction of the temple was given greenlight by then Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in 2016 and its work began in 2019. Costing 130 billion VND, it covers an area of more than 39,000 square metres.

Hung King is the title given to the ancient Vietnamese rulers of the Hong Bang period (2879–258 BC). They were the Kings of Van Lang. The worshiping rituals of the Hung Kings was recognised as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012.

Intersection at Vietnam-Lao border gate relocated

Representatives of the National Border Committee under the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the National Boundary Committee under the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs on April 6 signed the minutes to relocate the intersection between Hong Van border gate in Vietnam's Thua Thien-Hue province and Co Tai border gate in the Lao province of Salavan.

The relocation aims to create favourable conditions for infrastructure investment, trade and travel, while enhancing exchanges, cooperation and sustainable development between the two provinces.

The two sides requested agencies and units of the two provinces to complete related administrative procedures facilitating the work.

Vietnam crush Australia to advance to AFF Futsal Championship semi-finals

Vietnam on April 6 thrashed Australia 5-1 to win a place in the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Futsal Championship semi-finals.

Vietnam have seven points after three matches but will have to wait for the result of the Myanmar-Timor Leste match to find out if they will face Thailand or Indonesia in the semi-finals.

Embassy asks for facts on missing Vietnamese student in Israel

The Vietnamese Embassy in Israel is working closely with local agencies to clarify the fate of a Vietnamese student, named Nguyen Hai Binh, who is believed to have died in Israel, said Ambassador Do Minh Hung.

A body thought to be Binh, who has been missing for the last six years, was found in the Neot HaKikar desert in the Arava region of Israel, along with identification documents and personal effects.

Hung told the Vietnam News Agency's reporter in Tel Aviv on April 6 that over the past three years, he has continued to bring up the case during his working sessions with the Consular Department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Agency for International Development Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel (MASHAV), and the Arava International Center for Agriculture Training (AICAT) where Binh studied.

After receiving information from Israeli police, the embassy is working on three matters: asking for final conclusion on whether the body is Binh or not; coordinating with relevant agencies to bring Binh’s body home following the wish of his family; and clarifying the insurance policy and compensation for the case, said Hung.

National Press Festival to return this month

The National Press Festival will return this month after two years of postponement because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival will take place at Hanoi Museum on April 13 – 15, showcasing a large number of publications of centrally- and locally-run news outlets. 

A series of events will also be organised on the sidelines of the festival, including an exhibition commemorating the 100th anniversary of journal “Le Paria”, a pictorial exhibition on spring roads, a forum on digital transformation, a talk on humanity in journalism and a concert featuring music performances by journalists.

The organiser will also present several awards for the best Tet (Lunar New Year) magazine cover photo, the best news website design and the best TV and radio programmes. There is also an impressive press award for orgnisations and individuals with outstanding activities at the festival.

National golf team for SEA Games announced

Nine young golfers of the national golf team will represent Vietnam at SEA Games 31, the Vietnam Golf Association (VGA) announced at a press conference in Hanoi on April 5.

The men's team comprises Le Khanh Hung, Nguyen Anh Minh, Nguyen Bao Long, Nguyen Dang Minh and Nguyen Quang Tri. The four female players are Doan Xuan Khue Minh, Le Chuc An, Le Thi Thanh Thuy and Pham Thi Yen Vi.

Head coach of Vietnam's national golf team Nguyen Thai Duong said this year's team are the youngest ever with two 13 years-old and one 14-year-old. These golfers have received better training, and their skills and achievements have improved.

Women’s football team to play friendly against RoK on FIFA Days

The Vietnamese women’s national football team are set to play friendly matches during their intensive training programme in the Republic of Korea (RoK) for an intensive training that coincides with FIFA Days for women’s football. 

Whilst in the RoK, the Vietnamese team are due to have two friendly matches against the RoK on April 9 and April 11. They will then have four additional friendly matches against strong female teams on April 13, April 15, April 17, and April 19.

The Vietnamese women's football team rarely play friendlies on FIFA Days. The friendlies are expected to provide a prime opportunity for female players to elevate the image of the Vietnamese women's football team as they take on international rivals.

This year matches under FIFA Days will take place in five time frames, falling on April 4 to April 12, June 20 to June 28, August 29 to September 6, October 3 to October 11, and from November 7 to November 15, according the FIFA regulations.

Australian donated COVID-19 vaccines for kids to arrive this week

A batch of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5-11 amounting to nearly 1 million doses is due to arrive in Vietnam on April 9, said Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen. 

The second and third consignments of the vaccines running to more than 2 million and 4 million doses respectively are scheduled to arrive on April 13 and April 18. 

All of the three consignments of the vaccines were donated by the Australian Government, Tuyen said.

The vaccines will be allocated to localities for immediate inoculation as soon as they are delivered to ensure the progress of the national vaccination campaign for children.

Priority will be given to under 12 children (sixth graders) and then to children of other age groups, according to the National Expanded Immunization Programme approved by the Ministry of Health.

Traditional musical instruments of ethnic groups on display in Can Tho

An exhibition displaying an array of traditional musical instruments from various ethnic groups in Vietnam officially opened in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on April 7. 

Some of the instruments are the gourd lute of the Tay, the porcelain made drum of the San Chay, the flute of the Thai, the zither and monochord of the Kinh, the paranung drum of ethnic groups in the central region, and distinctive musical instruments of southerners.

The exhibition is being held as part of the third Don ca tai tu (southern amateur music) festival co-organised by the

The event will offer a platform in which to introduce local people and international friends to the richness, diversity, and uniqueness of musical instruments from Vietnamese ethnic groups. In addition, it will simultaneously promote art forms recognised by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Da stressed

The exhibition is scheduled to run though to April 11.

Hanoi set to host international art exhibition

An international exhibition at the Hanoi Art Connecting 2022 is scheduled to take place in the capital from April 9 to May 9 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

he event will be the fifth of its kind and is expected to draw the participation of hundreds of domestic and foreign artists from Australia, the United States, Ireland, Spain, Japan, the Republic of Korea, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, and Canada.

It will include several workshops and an exhibition. The workshops will be on painting, graphics, sculptures, and pottery, with the university hosting the occasion to showcase where the artists will produce their works.

Photo contest and exhibition on Vietnamese art launched

The Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition hosted a ceremony on April 6 to launch a photo contest and exhibition on Vietnamese art this year.

Eligible contestants can be both professional and non-professional photographers who are Vietnamese citizens and overseas Vietnamese aged at least 18 years old or older.

The entries, all of which must have been created between July, 2020, and July of this year, will compete in two categories, including realistic and conceptual photos, with the content reflecting contemporary life, people, culture, landscapes, nature, national construction and defence, as well as efforts in the fight against natural disasters and epidemics.

The organisers will award two sets of prizes for two photo categories with a total of 30 winners, including two gold medals, four silver medals, eight bronze medals, and 16 consolation prizes.

The online exhibition will subsequently be held from October.

VN to face raising Indonesia in SEA Games football opener

Viet Nam will play Indonesia in the opening match of the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games’ men’s football tournament on May 6.

A draw held in Hà Nội yesterday placed the two arch-rivals in Group A with Myanmar, the Philippines and East Timor, who will compete at Việt Trì Stadium in Phú Thọ Province.

Group B gathers former champions Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, and Cambodia. They will compete at Thiên Trường Stadium in Nam Định Province.

Teams will compete in a round-robin format in the group round. The two best sides of each group will advance to the semi-finals.

Semi-final and final matches will be played at Mỹ Đình Stadium in Hà Nội, with the last game on May 22.

Health ministry issues enhanced safety guidelines for COVID frontline health workers

Health workers who work at least 10 consecutive hours per day must be given seven to eight hours for sleeping,

After 14 consecutive working days, they should be off for 48 ​​hours. If they work five consecutive eight-hour shifts or four 10-hour shifts, health workers should get one or two days off.

If working three consecutive shifts lasting 12 hours, health workers must have two days off.

These are part of the health ministry’s Decision 838/QD-BYT on occupational safety and hygiene for health workers on the COVID-19 frontline.

Under the guideline, the ministry suggests health workers who take 12-hour shifts should be assigned to do administrative work.  

Agencies to create COVID plan for SEA Games

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son requested a meeting on Monday of the Medical and Anti-Doping Sub-Committee of the Games regarding COVID-19 prevention measures, with the participation of departments of health representatives from the 12 host localities.

The Ministry of Health has compiled a work plan to serve the coming Games, according to Lương Ngọc Khuê, Director of the health ministry’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment.

The sub-committee is tasked with providing health care for delegates, athletes, and staff at the Games and curbing the spread of diseases, particularly COVID-19.

The capital will host the most competitions, and the municipal Department of Health has been asked to devise specific scenarios for the opening and closing ceremonies.

Investigation into Quang Ninh mangrove forest destruction underway 

Two mangrove forests in the northern province of Quang Ninh have shown evidence of being destroyed. 

The forests are located between Ha Long and Cam Pha cities. A total area of around 4.8 hectares of the forest has been affected with many trees being dry. 

The situation has happened in the forests situated in Ha Long City’s Ha Phong Ward and Cam Pha City’s Quang Hanh Ward since late 2021. This has been reported to local authorities, but the official conclusion into the causes of the problem has not yet been announced.

According to the local Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s initial conclusion, the newly-built Ha Long-Cam Pha route has changed the flow and salinity of the water, affecting the respiration process of the trees.

Ha Phong Ward People’s Committee said that the area had recently faced heavy rain, providing large amounts of fresh water which was a cause of major damage to them.

However, the forest management board of Ha Long City suggested a further investigation into the case, including a three-metre-wide path in one of the forests. The path is potential evidence of the possibility that the forests may be being deliberately destroyed. There are many real estate projects being carried out nearby.

Earlier, authorities of Quang Ninh requested to protect nearby mangrove forests and lime mountains during the implementation of the 18-kilometre Ha Long-Cam Pha road project. Two tunnels have been built to serve the project.

The Quang Ninh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has invited experts from the Vietnam Academy of Forest Science to support the investigation.

Southern region to face early rainy season 

The southern region of Vietnam has been forecasted to officially start this year’s rainy season from mid-April, earlier than usual. 

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, since Wednesday, the southern region, including HCM City, has faced downpours and strong winds with rainfall of up to 70 mm. 

Hail, thunderstorms and flooding would happen in low areas near rivers, the centre warned.

Le Dinh Quyet, deputy director of the Southern Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting's forecast department, said coastal areas from Ca Mau to Kien Giang and An Giang would see torrential rains for some days to come.

Quyet added that this year’s rainy season in southern localities is 15-20 days earlier than usual. The south would have heavy rains from mid-April with the highest rainfall of between 1,800-2,000 mm in HCM City.

2022 Vietnam Art Photography Contest launched

The Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibitions held a ceremony on April 6, to launch the 2022 Vietnam Art Photography Contest and Exhibition.

The biennial contest is an opportunity to gather the force of photography in the country; introduce excellent photographic artworks to the national and international public; summarise and evaluate the creative artistic labour achievements of Vietnamese photographers over two years (2021 and 2022).

Participants in the 2022 Vietnam Art Photo Contest and Exhibition include professional and non-professional photographers who are Vietnamese citizens and Vietnamese living and working abroad, aged 18 years or older.

Contest photos include two categories: Realistic photos and conceptual photos with content reflecting life, people, culture, landscape, nature, construction and defence of the Vietnamese Fatherland, and efforts in the fight against natural disasters and epidemics; problems of contemporary life; thoughts, opinions, ideas about life, and other content towards the values of truth - goodness - beauty. The works were composed from July 2020 to July 2022.

The organising board will award two prize systems for two photo categories with a total of 30 prizes, including two gold medals; four silver medals; eight bronze medals and 16 consolation prizes.

Participants can send photos from now until midnight on July 15, 2022.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the exhibition are scheduled to take place this October in Ho Chi Minh City and in November in Hanoi. The online exhibition is expected to take place from October 2022.

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