Social News Headlines 30/6 Japanese encephalitis cases increase in Vietnam Because of increasing trend of Japanese encephalitis cases in the country, Vietnamese Ministry of Health issued June 27 some warning of the disease. The Ministry asked people to practice environment  hygiene to eliminate residence of mosquitoes. Cattle rearing farms should be removed far from houses. People should use mosquito nets and not let children to play near cattle farms. When a child has a high fever, they should be taken to a medical clinic for timely treatment. The Ministry said vaccination against Japanese encephalitis is one of effective preventative measures. Tran Dac Phu, head of the Department of Preventive Medicine, said that Japanese encephalitis is a disease spread through mosquito bites. Symptoms usually take 5-15 days to develop and include fever, headache, vomiting, confusion, and difficulty moving. Encephalitis occurs mainly in young children under 15 years old. At present, the Ministry is urging local health authorities to administer vaccination against Japanese encephalitis for children. As the disease develops complicatedly, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien made an unscheduled visit to the Central Children Hospital in Hanoi. Do Thien Hai, deputy chief of the hospital’s Infectious Disease Ward, said that since the beginning of the year, the hospital admitted 130 cases of Japanese encephalitis; six of them had to put on breathing machines. In 2013, around Japanese encephalitis cases accounted for 8 percent of total encephalitis, this year the proportion is up to 30 percent. Accordingly Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien urged the Hospital to coordinate with the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the ministry's Department of Medical Examination and Treatment to provide training course on prevention. These facilities have to take samples  from districts for testing to verify the cause of increasing cases of Japanese encephalitis. Hue Hospital succeeds in treating cancer with stem cell Doctors of Hue Central Hospital have used stem cell transplantation to successfully treat a cancer patient of the last stage. The Hue Central Hospital announced on June 26 that its doctors have cured Le Thi Sau, 52, who was suffering ovarian cancer in the last stage, with stem cell transplant. The operation is the success of the scientific project “Using stem cell in breast cancer and cervical cancer” managed by Professor Nguyen Duy Thang, deputy head of the hospital. Adult stem cells have been used to treat certain cancers through bone marrow transplants. In this therapy, the stem cells that give rise to the different blood cells in the body are transplanted into the bone marrow of the patient, where they regenerate the blood. The project was given green light to carry out in the Hue Central Hospital by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Professor Nguyen Duy Thang said the success of this method will pave the way for next operations on breast and ovarian cancer patients. In the time ahead, the hospital continues to treat two other cancer female patients with the stem cell treatment. It is hoped that the treatment will save many cancer patients. Quang Ngai Obstetrics & pediatrics hospital kicked off An obstetrics and pediatrics hospital has been kicked off in the central province of Quang Ngai on June 28. The five-storey hospital, covering an area of 24,600 square meters will offer 300 beds and a range of health services with the total capital of VND500 billion. The provincial Department of Health inaugurated the first stage of a traditional medicine hospital on the same day. It includes 50 beds and is expected to reach 150 beds by the second phase in 2015-2018 period. Stakes rise for students during World Cup University students, who already live on a tight budget, fall into debt over bets on World Cup matches. They usually start off small. A student from Hanoi University of Business and Technology said, "University students don't have much money, so we just bet small items or amounts of money to make the game more interesting. I guess we are also trying to show our predictions skills." Another student of HCM City Electric Power College said they would bet for meals. However, as the tournament continues, the stakes tend to go up. The average bets on World Cup games have increased to something around VND2-3 million (USD95-142) per match. He said, "I wanted to earn some money to go out with my girlfriend but I lost. I keep betting though, borrowing from friends in order to make up for my losses." He went on to say that the surprising results of Spain's match, or the one between Italy and Costa Rica cost him a lot. In the end he had to pawn his cell phone and laptop to pay off his debts. Mai, the owner of a convenience store said, "I'm not a professional in the matter, but I do know that most students who live here are poor. They are still into betting, though. They go to big shops to pawn their motorbikes and cell phones. They come to me when they want to pawn electric fans or rice cookers. There was one student who had to make an escape because he owed money to some bad people." Some students even resort to using their tuition fees to bet on matches. Some of them feel the consequences when they are unable to take their exams. Nguyen Le Tuan Khang, a student from Nha Trang City, lost a bet and persuaded his friend to rob a woman in order to pay back the money. Khang was caught and sentenced to two years of in prison. His friend was sentenced to one year. Vietnamese fishermen save 11 Malaysian sailors off Truong Sa Fishermen aboard three Vietnamese fishing boats rescued 11 Malaysian sailors whose barge broke down off Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago on Sunday, the Vietnam National Search and Rescue Committee reported the same day. At about 3:00 pm, the Vietnamese vessels found barge HUB18, with Malaysian nationality, drifting about 134 nautical miles off Phan Vinh Island, part of Truong Sa in the East Vietnam Sea. The barge, which is about 160 meters long, was carrying 131 containers. Sea conditions were rough, as it was raining heavily and the wind was especially strong. The fishermen aboard two local vessels from south-central Binh Dinh Province, BĐ 97105 TS and BĐ 95698 TS, came alongside the drifting barge and rescued nine Malaysian sailors from it. Meanwhile, another vessel from central Quang Ngai Province, QNg 97068 TS, saved the other two foreign sailors. The local vessels then sent SOS signals and reported the rescue to the Nha Trang Coastal Information Station, which in turn informed the incident to search and rescue agencies in the region. Upon receiving the signals, another Vietnamese fishing boat, BĐ 95698 TS, came to the scene to provide help. Competent agencies from the Vietnam National Search and Rescue Committee are coordinating with the three Vietnamese fishing boats in towing the barge to a safe place and taking care of the Malaysian sailors, pending the following steps to be taken. Motorbike-taxi drivers give first aid to traffic victims A group of motorbike-taxi drivers in Binh Duong Province have formed a team to give free first aid to victims of traffic accidents. The group has gained some notoriety among the community of Di An Township because of their willingness to arrive quickly at crash sites and give aid, regardless of weather conditions. “I’ve been part of this group for five years. Before, I felt helpless when I would see people on the street injured and in pain. Now I know how to help because of training. There were even times that victims of accidents were unintentionally made worse by efforts of those not trained in first aid," said Pham Ngoc An, one motorbike-taxi driver who joined the group. He added that he is also more confident to step forward as a witness when there is an accident in which the one who caused it denies culpability The group was set up under and an initiative of the Red Cross. Teams are provided with first aid training, and has helped over 2,000 people. “On the weekends there are a lot of drunk drivers. The mixture is not good and it leads to a lot of accidents. Sometimes there are several we hear about at once and respond to, even though they may be in different locations," said An. Even though most motorbike taxi drivers struggle to earn a living for themselves, they have not hesitated trying to save others' lives. "A month ago or so, I helped carry a victim to the hospital, where he was treated. He was so grateful that he came back to find me and give me some money. I refused though," said Nguyen Van Tan, from Thanh Hoa Province. It has not always been easy for the teams to operate, however. Phan Tuan Thao, Chairman of Di An Ward Red Cross Association, said, “At first, there were incidents in which family members or friends of victims misunderstood the intentions of our teams. Some have even been attacked trying to help. But, as the community continues to recognise the work we are doing, it has become easier to get funding and even provide uniforms for those who take part." Vietnamese doctor receives Int’l recognition Dr. Duong Quang Trung’s research project on cognitive radio was named the Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Communications (ICC) in Sydney, Australia. The ICC is a flagship conference in the field of wireless technologies and communications. Dr. Trung’s research project involved an intelligent wireless radio capable of being programmed and configured dynamically. The conference attracted 2,500 scientists from 74 countries and territories around the globe, who presented 991 papers selected from 2,608 entries. Last year, Trung also won first prize with another research project on cognitive radio at the 77th Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Vehicular Technology Conference (IEEE VTC) in Dresden, Germany. Trung is a lecturer at Queens University in the UK and his 120 research projects have been published in 53 magazines along with more than 70 international conference yearbooks. Fire ravages bar in downtown HCM City A fire broke out at Bar Canalis in District 3 of downtown HCM City on Saturday. The fire started on the second floor and quickly spread to the front of the four-floor bar. No injuries were reported. Since there was heavy rain, fire-fighters brought the fire under control in half an hour. The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained. The total damage has also not been assessed. Boat carrying diesel catches fire A boat used to catch cuttle fish suddenly caught fire around midnight on Saturday. The boat belonged to 43-year-old Pham Cuong of Tam Giang Commune, Nui Thanh District of Quang Nam. It was anchored on the Truong Giang River. Cuong was nearby when the boat caught fire. No one was injured. Fire-fighters could bring the fire under control only after four hours. Apparently, a short circuit caused the fire and spread rapidly due to the seven tonnes of diesel that the boat was carrying. Damage is estimated at VND3.5 billion (US$164,000). Lao national caught with medicinal drugs Border officers of Bo Y, yesterday, detained a 26-year-old Lao national carrying 1,500 tablets of methamphetamine into Viet Nam. Kham Xi, 26, was caught red-handed while transporting the drugs. It is unclear where the tablets were being brought from. Xi said he was hired by a Vietnamese to carry the drugs into the country. He is currently being detained to get more information. Rare trees in natural reserve cut down Forest rangers in Dak Nong Province have confirmed that at least 113 rare trees were recently cut down in the Nam Nung Natural Forest Reserve Area in Dak G'long District. This came to light after complaints were filed by residents of Quang Son Commune in the district. Local authorities, in cooperation with forest range officers, discovered some of the logs that had been chopped but not yet removed from the site. The case has been transferred to the provincial police for further investigation. New Urban Area opens more roads HCM City's Department of Transport has approved plans to spend more than VND333 billion (US$15.6 million) to upgrade and expand Tran Nao Street connecting Thu Thiem New Urban Area in the city. The project, which would connect Nguyen Van Huong Road with Tran Nao-Luong Dinh Cua-Arc Avenue intersection, would be built on the area of nearly 40,000 square metres during a two year period. The road is expected to measure more than 1.31km long and 30 metres wide, consisting of six lanes and a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour for road users. A drainage system, lighting and underground 110kV electricity grid will also accompany the new tree-lined street. The Traffic Urban Management No2 Centre under the city's Department of Transport will fund the project. Meanwhile, the city's People's Committee has agreed to allocate nearly 400,000 square metres of land of Thu Thiem New Urban Area for an outside company to build four main boulevards in the area. This includes the Arc Avenue, Lakeside Avenue, Riverside Avenue and a subway connecting eight functional areas in Thu Thiem. The construction, with a total capital investment of VND12 trillion ($571.4 million), is expected to finished by February 2017. VJA statement opposes China’s wrongdoings The Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) on June 29 released a statement protesting China’s illegal placement of oil rig Haiyang Shiyou- 981 in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf. The association demanded China respect international law, withdraw its oil rig from Vietnam’s waters, halt violations of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the sea and islands, and stop the use of force that seriously threatens the lives of Vietnamese fishermen, fishery resource surveillance and law enforcement forces. China’s actions have complicated the situation, fueling tensions in the region and threatening maritime security and safety in the East Sea, it said. The association called on the international press community, including the Chinese press to better understand the situation and denounced the dangerous actions of provocations which infringe international law, firstly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and violate Vietnam’s sovereignty over its EEZ and continental shelf. It also reiterated Vietnam’s stance on resolving disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, equality and mutual respect in the common interests of the two countries’ people as well as for peace in the region and the world at large. “The association believes that all countries, large or small, are equally responsible for common peace and security and they need mutual respect and trust,” the statement said. PM greenlights plan to set up rail, road buffer zones A plan to clean up the illegal homes and shops sitting just inches away from road and rail lines throughout the country has been approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The plan aims to reduce the many deadly accidents caused by so many squatters living and doing business next to busy traffic corridors. The Directorate for Roads has been ordered to co-operate with localities to remove all illegal buildings. It has also been told to submit plans to evict and compensate those who are moved to provincial People's Committees before June 30 next year. The Ministry of Transport's rail management agency has been told to finish building barriers to close unofficial level crossings nation-wide by 2017, Dung said. The agency has also been asked to improve the quality of official level crossings nationwide, including erecting traffic signs to warn and inform the public. It has been told to ensure safety at the junctions between railroads and national highways between Ha Noi and HCM City within two years. The budget to implement the plan has been financed from the State budget, local budgets and other sources. The transport ministry has been told to send an annual report to the Government about the implementation of the plan before January 31. Seven ministries including construction, finance, planning and investment, and public security have been asked to co-operate with the transport ministry to implement the plan. HCM City signs pact with Rhone-Alpes Region A comprehensive cooperation agreement was signed between HCM City and France's Rhone-Alpes Region during a visit to the region headed by Le Hoang Quan, chairman of HCM City People's Committee, last week. The Agreement on Cooperation between HCM City and Rhone-Alpes Region in the 2014-2017 period highlights four priorities between HCM City and the Rhone-Alpes Region, including the development of a sustainable economic partnership, development cooperation, cooperation on training, cultural exchanges and training of young staff. Addressing the signing ceremony, Quan said the renewed agreement on bilateral cooperation indicates the two sides' efforts to enhance cooperation and match the potential of both Rhone-Alpes Region and HCM City. In December 2012, HCM City and the Rhone-Alpes region signed a number of agreements to enhance cooperation during talks between the deputy chairman of the HCM City People's Committee Nguyen Huu Tin, and Bernard Soulage, vice chairman of the Rhone-Alpes Regional Council. They included a cooperation agreement between HCM City, the Rhone-Alpes Region and the Lyon Urban Community on urban-related areas and an agreement between HCM City and Lyon on installing a lighting system for the main post office in Saigon. On Thursday, Quan opened the "HCM City Days in Lyon City and Rhone-Alpes Region" festival, while the HCM City delegation introduced a music show called "Songs from the City Named after President Ho Chi Minh" at the Palais de Mutalite in Lyon. Programme raises funds for children with genital deformities A fundraising drive was held in Hanoi on June 28 as part of an ongoing charitable programme providing surgeries for Vietnamese children with congenital and other abnormalities of the genitalia. The organizers of the drive aimed to raise US$80,000 to cover expenses for operations for 32 children nationwide, bringing the total number of the programme has benefited to 106. In 2006, with the first successful operation performed by Italian professor Roberto Decastro and his colleagues on Phung Thien Nhan, a young boy with genital deformities, inflicted after he was abandoned by his mother and attacked by wild animals. Since 2010, a group of leading US and Italian experts has been traveling to Vietnam annually, providing free health check-ups for 388 children and conducting surgeries for 74 disadvantaged children nationwide. This June, the group will arrive in Vietnam to carry out their sixth operation term and provide surgeries for 32 needy children.The programme also covers all expenses of travel and accommodations for families of these patients. So far, less than the full US$80,000 needed has been collected to fund the cost of this year’s surgeries for the children and the programme needs additional support to help them. Those wishing to donate can transfer their donation to the account of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation and inform the fund via email chuongtrinhthiennhan@gmail.com or hotline: 0942.95.95.98. SPELL awards scholarships to 40,000 students The Scholarship Programme to Enhance Literacy and Learning (SPELL) recently awarded scholarships valued at US$3.7 million to roughly 40,000 disadvantaged children in seven central provinces. SPELL was launched ten years ago by the East Meets West Foundation (EMW) with the aim of assisting the country’s low-income students gain a solid education and get a good job. The programme has helped students from some of the poorest families in the seven central provinces and cities of Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue, Danang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen. It has been instrumental in reducing the number of drop-outs in over 85% of the junior secondary schools, raising the final examination pass rate to 97% and assisting innumerable students win national and provincial educational awards. Vietnam Education Promotion Association Vice President Tran Xuan Nhi praised SPELL’s assistance as a motivation for students to study well and its remarkable contributions to the national educational system. In 2010, a sister programme, SPELL Goes To College (SGTC) was launched, helping students pursue their educational goals at universities. The programme has so far supported 130 poor students in realizing their dream of studying at universities. Remove stinking chicken farm: residents Environment pollution caused by a chicken farm in Thu Thua District of the southern province of Long An, has affected the health and lives of numerous households for many years. According to local residents, the chicken waste of Minh Dung farm causes a stink while attracting a large number of flies. The privately run Minh Dung farm is currently raising 30,000 chickens. Pham Thi Tam, a resident, said there were so many flies because of the environmental pollution from the chicken farm and the situation had existed for years. Many of the roughly 200 households have to hang up mosquito nets when they have meals to keep out the flies, she said. The smell from the chicken waste was really terrible, she added. "We asked local authorities on numerous occasions to remove the chicken farm to safeguard the health of residents, but no measures have been taken yet," she said. Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Thanh commune in Thu Thua District, Le Quoc Viet, said the chicken farm owner promised to handle the environmental pollution and remove the farm before today following the provincial People's Committee's order. However, he said, during a recent inspection it was discovered that the farm owner had failed to keep his promise. The provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment has done regular inspections and asked the chicken farm owner to deal with the environment pollution, but the situation had not improved much, said the department's Deputy Director Huynh Thi Thep. If the farm owner did not co-operate with local authorities in removing the farm, the department would propose stricter measures, she said. Circular aims to curb groundwater exploitation Individuals and organisations wanting to exploit groundwater in areas where water levels have decreased for three consecutive years, are required to register with the local People's Committees by July 15. The move followed Circular 27/2014/TT-BTNMT recently signed by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Thai Lai, aimed at controlling the over-exploitation of groundwater resources throughout the country. Lai said that individuals or organisations were also ordered to register with the committee at commune or district levels if they wanted to drill for water in both urban areas and residential zones in rural areas, where it was located on soft ground. The circular said that there were several areas where registration was mandatory before groundwater sources could be exploited, including areas with a lot of limestone; delta and coastal areas interlaced between fresh water and salt water. In addition, individuals or organisations, owning bore wells, with a depth of more than 20 metres and a capacity to supply below 10 cubic metres daily, had to register with People's Committees at commune or district levels before exploiting groundwater sources, Lai said. The ministry assigned all departments of Natural Resources and Environment nationwide to quickly make a list of areas required to register before they begin drilling for water, he said. Lai added that the People's Committee at commune or district levels had to send feedback to individuals or organisations within 10 days of receiving the registration papers. Lai asked the People's Committee at the provincial levels and the Department of Water Resources Management to cooperate with relevant agencies to implement the circular. Overall global drug use prevalence stable: UNODC report Drug use prevalence is stable around the world, with around 243 million individuals, or 5 percent of the world’s population aged 15-64 having used illicit drugs in the past year, according to the 2014 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Meanwhile, problem drug users numbered about 27 million, roughly 0.6 percent of the world’s adult population, or 1 in every 200 people, said the report. UNODC called for a stronger focus on the health and human rights of all drug users, but particularly those who inject drugs. “There remain serious gaps in service provision. In recent years, only one in six drug users globally has had access to or received drug dependence treatment services each year”, stated UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov, stressing that some 200,000 drug-related deaths had occurred in 2012. The UNODC said sustainable success in drug control required firm international commitment. A balanced and comprehensive approach addressing both supply and demand should be backed up by evidence-based responses focusing on prevention, treatment, social rehabilitation and integration. According to the report, heroin remains a major drug of concern in several countries in Asia including China, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam. After showing a dramatic increase between 2008 and 2011, heroin seizures levelled off in 2012 and 2013 suggesting a stable trend, but remain at a very high level with over 9 tonnes seized per year. In the first six months of 2014, Vietnamese police seized 14.1kg of opium, a sharply decrease from the amount of 83kg in the same period last year.- Dong Thap partners with Netherlands in hi-tech agriculture The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has benefited from its cooperation with Netherlands partnership to develop hi-tech agriculture. A delegation from the province recently made a fact-finding tour to the Netherlands to study the country’s agriculture techniques, especially in flower growing. During the trip, Dong Thap officials signed an agreement with the Demokwekerji Westland company and the Vietnam Business Centre in the Netherland, under which the two Dutch partners will conduct a feasibility study for the establishment of a hi-tech agriculture centre in the province. This project has already been approved by the Dutch Ministry of Economy. The visit was also a good chance for Dong Thap experts to seek partners and concrete ways to apply the latest farming techniques suitable with the local climate and soil. Notably, during the recent Vietnam visit by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the Vietnam Business Centre in the Netherland reached a deal with Sa Dec city of Dong Thap on cooperation in flower growing, trade and tourism. Also on the occasion, the Dong Thap People’s Committee and business players from the Netherlands set up a working group comprising Vietnamese and Dutch experts for the development of new plant varieties and training of agriculturalists for the province. The Netherlands pledged to assist the southern province with the import of new flower varieties and restoration of specialty species of Sa Dec, which is the largest supplier of flowers in the southwestern region. Health sector to widen coverage The health sector will focus on improving the quality of medical services and benefits for insured patients. These are part of the sector’s efforts to increase the country’s health insurance coverage to 75 percent by 2015 and 80 percent by 2020. Speaking at a meeting in Hanoi on June 26 to mark the Vietnam Health Insurance Day which falls on July 1, Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that positive changes in the revised health insurance law that was adopted by the National Assembly on June 13, would be important steps to achieve the goal of health insurance for all. “Changing from voluntary to compulsory payments would help in handling the shortcomings in the current health insurance policies and in increasing the health insurance coverage of the population,” she said. The insured patient’s benefits would be improved by efforts to simplify the health insurance procedures and by upgrading the examination and treatment services, especially for the poor, ethnic and minority people or those living on islands and in difficult areas, according to the minister. Tien said that the country still faces many challenges such as access to medical services and the quality of check-up and treatment, which need to be resolved for meeting the increasing demand for healthcare. More than 30 percent of the population is not covered by medical insurance, and the inadequate awareness of people regarding health insurance laws and regulations were also problems in achieving universal health insurance coverage. The ministry’ statistics shows that the number of medically insured people increased by 15 million after five years of implementation of the health insurance law. The country had 61.7 million medically insured people, totalling nearly 70 percent of the country’s population by end of 2013. The health insurance fund has paid more than 42 trillion VND (2 billion USD for examination and treatment during 131 million visits by insured patents in 2013, compared to more than 19 trillion VND (900 million USD) during 102 millions visits by insured patients in 2010.- Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND