Vietnam Honors 3 Experts of UN, U.S. for Assistance to Health Sector

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health on August 25 hosted a ceremony in Hanoi to present the “For people’s health” insignia to three experts of the UN, U.S. organizations in recognition of their devotion to the Vietnamese health sector in general and the cause of HIV/AIDS prevention and control in particular, local media reported. The well-wishers were Ms. Marie-Odile Emond, country director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in Vietnam; Mr. John Michael Blandford, country director of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Vietnam; and Deputy Director of the U.S. CDC in Vietnam Paula Morgan. Addressing the ceremony, Acting Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long commended the three experts’ contributions, especially in the coordination of resources, policy support, and consultations to government agencies to devise HIV/AIDS strategies. The Vietnamese health sector expects stronger international ties and further aid from the global community and organizations in HIV/AIDS control. (Giao Duc Thoi Dai, Thoi Dai, en.Vietnam Plus)