An environment-healthcare project, with a cost of nearly $1.3 million in the first two phases funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has benefited 22,800 people directly and over 50,000 other indirectly in Vietnam in 2015-2019, local media reported. The Vietnam Red Cross (VNRC) hosted a workshop in central Khanh Hoa province on November 27 to review the implementation of the project on enhancing capacity of the Vietnam Red Cross at all levels in risk management, first aid, and healthcare in emergency situation. From October 2015 to November 2019, the project has built guidelines on disaster management, first aid, and disease prevention; set up disaster response teams in eight provinces namely Hoa Binh, Quang Tri, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Nghe An, and Thanh Hoa. Under the project, training courses on community-based disaster risk evaluation were held, which supported local authorities in integrating the work into their socio-economic development plans; and helped upgrade the early disaster warning system. On November 28, the VNRC launched the third phase of the project, with a cost of $689,797. The stage will be implemented in 17 communes in October 2019-March 2021 and is expected to benefit 37,150 people. (Nhan Dao, baonhandao, baokhanhhoa, redcross, redcross)
