Information & Communication

First Whitmore Case Reported in Vietnam’s Dak Lak Province in 2024

On April 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of Vietnam’s central highlands province of Dak Lak announced the detection of a Whitmore disease case in Buon Ma Thuot city, marking the first case of its kind in this province in 2024, local media reported.

The 41-year-old male patient sought medical attention at Buon Ma Thuot University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital on March 30 and received the positive test result of Burkholderia pseudomallei bacteria on April 4. On the same day, the patient was transferred to the Central Highlands General Hospital for continued treatment with a diagnosis of septic shock and urinary tract infection.

Vietnam Deputy PM Urges Mandatory Health Insurance for Tuberculosis Patients

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has requested the Ministry of Health to collaborate with Vietnam Social Security and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to ensure that all tuberculosis (TB) patients receive health insurance coverage in Vietnam, local media reported.

Speaking at a national committee meeting on TB eradication in Hanoi on April 8, Deputy PM Ha urged these agencies to explore financing plans for diagnostic testing expenses for TB detection and to conduct centralized procurement to guarantee sufficient drugs, medical equipment, and supplies for this purpose.

Pertussis Cases in Vietnam Hanoi Increase y/y to 39 YTD

Vietnam’s Hanoi recorded 39 pertussis cases in 18 districts and communes in the year to date, with no deaths reported, but the number of cases has increased compared to the same period in 2023, according to statistics from the Hanoi Department of Health.

The majority of patients are children under three months old, accounting for 65% of the total, and those who have not been vaccinated or have not been fully vaccinated, making up 72%.

In the past week, Hanoi has recorded seven cases of pertussis in Ba Dinh, Cau Giay, Dong Anh, Dong Da, Nam Tu Liem, Thach That, Thanh Xuan, with the number of cases equivalent to the previous week.

Vietnam Health Minister, USAID Seek to Enhance Cooperation

Vietnamese Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan held discussions with Ms. Aler Grubbs, Mission Director for Vietnam at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), on April 9 to explore collaboration between the two sides, local media reported.

During the meeting, Minister Lan expressed sincere appreciation for the support, companionship, and assistance provided by USAID to the Vietnamese healthcare sector over time, while highlighting that healthcare cooperation has been a bright spot in the collaborative relationship between Vietnam and the United States over the years.

UN Environment Program Helps Manage Plastic Pollution in Vietnam

The Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE), under the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) are building steps to deploy a project on strengthening the capacity of plastic pollution management in Vietnam, local media said.

The project will focus on enhancing plastic pollution control through promoting monitoring activities in Vietnam to provide information for the management and policy-making process and intensifying plastic waste value chain management in target localities with river basins through promoting circular economic models and innovative solutions to prevent plastic waste at source.

8 Coastal Localities in Vietnam Get More Support in Forestry Modernization

The Vietnamese Prime Minister has issued a decision to raise resilience for coastal areas in the eight coastal localities, namely Haiphong City and the provinces of Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien-Hue, local media reported.

Accordingly, 4,040 hectares of forests planted and restored in the localities in the first phase of the World Bank-funded Forest Sector Modernization and Coastal Resilience Enhancement Project will receive further care.

Contest Seeks Innovative Solutions to Recycle Plastic in Vietnam

The innovative solution contest 2024 was launched in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi on April 12, aiming to seek solutions in the plastic circular value chain, especially new and creative solutions in improving the capacity to collect, process and recycle plastic packaging.

The contest, jointly held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Unilever Vietnam, the British Chamber of Commerce Vietnam, the Startup Vietnam Foundation, the British Embassy in Vietnam and the Standard Chartered Bank, is expected to encourage, promote and invest in new initiatives and solutions on collecting, sorting and recycling plastic packaging waste suitable for the Vietnamese market.

Vietnam Needs More Regulations to Support Green Buildings: Experts

Vietnam needs more regulations on assessing and supporting green buildings, contributing to the global trend of greenhouse gas emission reduction, experts suggested at an international conference on laws and policies for green buildings in southern Ho Chi Minh City on April 11.

They stressed that Vietnam’s rapidly rising urban population is causing rising demand for housing but also the consequences of urbanization, such as pollution and declining natural resources.

Vietnam PM Signs Decision on Setting up State Professor Council for 2024-2029

On April 11, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Decision 300/QD-TTg to establish the State Professor Council for the term 2024 – 2029, local media reported.

Accordingly, Associate Professor-Doctor Nguyen Kim Son, Minister of Education and Training, was appointed as the Chairman of the State Professor Council for the term 2024 - 2029.

The Prime Minister entrusted Minister Son to decide on the appointment of Council members and to regularly review and adjust appointments annually as prescribed.

This decision will take effect from April 11 and annul any previous provisions contrary to those stated herein.

Vietnam Universities Supported to Improve Capacity for Internationalization

Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training coordinated with the Australian Education Department to organize training courses from March 25 to April 11 for universities to improve their capacity for internationalization.

Managers and lecturers responsible for developing international training programs from 44 universities attended the courses face-to-face or online.

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