AwhoopingcoughpatientisunderspecialcareattheHu?GeneralHospital.—PhotocourtesyofthehospitalTH?ATHIêN-HU?—Whoopingcoughhasre-emergedinthecentralprovinceofTh?aThiên-Hu?aftermorethantenyears,withfivesuspectedcases,ofwhichtwoalreadytestedpositiveforthevirus,theprovincialhealthdepartmentannouncedonTuesday.AllfivecasesareundersupervisionattheHu?GeneralHospital.TwopatientswhoweretestedpositiveforthediseasearefromHu?CityandH??ngTh?yTown.Theyarechildrenunderthreemonthsold,whoeitherhavenotbeenvaccinatedorhavejustbeenvaccinatedandhavenotyetgotimmunity.Leadersofthelocalhealthdepartmentsaidthatafterrecordingsuspectedcases,thehealthsectorcoordinatedwithaffectedlocalitiestoorganiseinvestigations,taketestsamplesandsendthemtotheNhaTrangPasteurInstituteforconfirmatorytesting.Thedepartmenthassteppedupcommunicationmessagingtoraisepeoplesawarenessaboutthedisease.Thehealthsectoriscontinuingtosupervisetopromptlydetectcasesinthecommunity,aswellasinmedicalfacilitiestocontrolandpreventoutbreaks.Theprovincialhealthsectorstrengthenstheworkofadmitting,treatingandresuscitatingpatients,movingthemtoupper-levelwhenrequiredandpreventingcross-infectioninmedicalfacilities.Itmaintainsvaccinationrates,reviewingcasesthathavenotbeenvaccinatedornottotherightlevel,organisingtopupvaccinationsaccordingtotheMinistryofHealthsinstructions.Thehealthdepartmentsaidthatwhoopingcoughwasanacuterespiratoryinfectioncausedbypertussisbacteria.Thediseaseoftenoccursinchildrenunderfiveyearsold,issevereandcaneasilyleadtodeath,causingcomplicationsofbronchitisandpneumonia,especiallyinthosewhohavenotbeenfullyvaccinated.Ittransmitsthroughtherespiratorytractbydirectcontactwiththepatientsnasopharyngealsecretionswhencoughingorsneezing.Theinfectionrateishighinpeoplelivinginthesameclosedspace,suchashouseholdsandschools.StatisticsoftheDepartmentofPreventiveMedicineshowedthatinthefirstfivemonthsthisyear,thecountryrecorded127casesofwhoopingcough,7.9timesgreaterthanthesameperiodlastyear.ThemainreasonistheinterruptioninvaccinessupplyundertheExpandedImmunisationProgramme,whichhasaffectedthenationwidecoveragerate.—VNS

AninternationalcruiseshipdocksatNhàR?ng-KhánhH?iPortinHCMCity.—VNA/VNSPhotoHCMCITY—HCMCityplanstobuildthreemoreinternationalpassengercruiseterminalstodevelopwaterwaytransportandboosttourism.BùiHoàAn,deputydirectorofthemunicipalDepartmentofTransport,saidthethreeinternationalpassengercruiseterminalshavebeenincludedinthecitysgeneralplanningadjustmentprojectby2040,withavisionto2060,settobesubmittedtothePrimeMinisterforapprovalsoon.TheterminalswillbebuiltincoastalurbanareasinoutlyingC?nGi?Districtandwillbeabletocatertoshipsofupto100,000GT(grosstonnage).AterminalinM?i?èn??canserveshipsofupto60,000GT,andoneinB?nNghéPortisdesignedforshipsofupto30,000GT.Theywillbeequippedwithmodernfacilitiesandservices,includingdedicateddockingareas,luxuriousreceptionzones,dining,shopping,andentertainmentservicestoenhancetouristexperiences.Aftertwomonths,theTh?ngLonghigh-speedboat,capableofcarrying1,017passengersontheHCMCity-C?n??oroute,willbesuspendedonJuly29duetoinefficientoperations.Withits23km-longcoastlineandadensenetworkofriversandcanals,thecityholdssignificantpotentialfordevelopingeco-tourismandurbanwaterwaytourism.The80km-longSàiGònRiveristhelargestofitskindinthecity,capableofaccommodatinglargeseaandtouristvesselsandconnectingthecitywithotherlocalitiesinthesouthernregionandneighbouringCambodia.Inrecentyears,internationalpassengershipscomingtothecityhavehadtodockatcargoportslikeNhàR?ng-KhánhH?iandHi?pPh??cports,whichdonotmeetmaritimesafetyandsecurityrequirements.Thelackofdedicateddockingfacilitieshashamperedmanycruiselinesfrombringingtouriststothecity,thusaffectingtourismrevenueandrelatedservicessuchasrestaurants,hotelsandretail.AccordingtothecitysDepartmentofTourism,cruisetouristsspendanaverageofUS$100perday,asignificantsourceofrevenuethatremainsuntapped.—VNSPeoplepaytheirrespectstoGeneralSecretaryNguy?nPhúTr?ng.—VNA/VNSPhotoHàN?I—DuringthedaysofnationalmourningforGeneralSecretaryNguy?nPhúTr?ng,flagswillbeathalf-mastacrossthecountry,andlifeseemstoslowdownandbecomemoresolemntorememberadistinguishedsonofthenationwhohasjustpassedaway.Peopleofallages,fromstudentstotheelderly,andthosetravellingfromdistantprovincestothecapital,unitedintheirheartfelttributeandprofoundsorrowfortheGeneralSecretary.By7amonThursday(July25),alargenumberofpeoplehadgatheredtopaytheirrespectsattheNationalFuneralHallonNo.5Tr?nThánhT?ngStreet,HàN?i.AlongthestreetsofNguy?nCao,Lò?úc,HànThuyên,LêThánhT?ng,andT?ngB?tH?aroundtheFuneralHall,peoplepatientlyqueuedtopaytheirrespects,withsomesobbingandcrying.OnT?ngB?tH?Street,holdingaportraitoftheGeneralSecretary,?àoTh?Ng?cLan,aveteranfromHàN?isPhúcTh?District,saidthatshehadrentedaccommodationnearthefuneralhalltwodaysbeforethefuneralservice.Shegotupearlytobepresentby4amtocompletetheprocedureforpayingherrespects.TheGeneralSecretarywasaleaderdevotedtothenationandthepeople.Sincehearingofhispassing,Ihavecriedeveryday,andIconstantlythinkabouthim.IhopetheofficialsandPartymemberswillcontinuetofollowthemoralexampleofPresidentH?ChíMinhandemulatethequalitiesofTr?ng,Lansaidemotionally.HoàngV?nTo?nandhiswifefromB?cNinhProvincetookbustoHàN?iby5am.Henotedthatinrecentdays,themediaandsocialnetworkshavebeenfilledwithexpressionsofgriefandstoriesfrompeopleacrossthecountryabouttheGeneralSecretary.Manyfeltthelossasiftheyhadlostafamilymember.Hewasanexemplaryleader,withamodestlifestyle,firmprinciplesandintelligence.TheVietnamesepeopledeeplyrespectandadmirehim,To?nsaid.??LêThuyH?ngexpressedhersorrow,sayingthatitwasimpossibletofullydescribeherfeelings.Nguy?nPhúTr?ngwasamodelleader,anoutstandingstudentofUncleH?.Hewassosimple,anexceptionalcommunistPartymember,shesaid.Shehadtravelledfrom?àL?tCityofLam??ngProvincewithhersistertoseeUncleTr?ngonelasttime.Nguy?nPhúTr?ngwasarolemodelforourgeneration,someonewhoalwaysputhisheartintothecountryanddedicatedhimselftothepeople.Wecanapplyhisteachingstoourdailylives.Iwillstrivetofollowhisexample,shesaid.PeoplequietlywatchedtheNationalFuneralCeremonyofGeneralSecretaryNguy?nPhúTr?ngwithinfiniteregret.—VNA/VNSPhotoAmongthemourners,LêV?n??ng,aveteranfromThanhHóa(chǎn)Provinceinhisseventies,arrivedbybusat2amonJuly25eagertopayhisrespects.Henotedthatthroughouthiscareer,theGeneralSecretaryshowedspecialcareandaffectionforthePartyandpeopleofThanhHóa(chǎn).ThepeopledeeplyrespectedandadmiredhimandThanhHóa(chǎn)wasproudtohavehadsuchadedicatedPartymember.PeopledeeplyresonatewiththeGeneralSecretarysfamoussaying,‘Ifthefireislitandthefurnaceishot,evenfreshfirewoodmustburn.Thisshowshisunwaveringdeterminationinleadingthefightagainstcorruptionandnegativity,??ngsaid.Anotherearlymourner,LamTh?KhuyênfromH?ngYênCity,said:WhenIheardofGeneralSecretaryNguy?nPhúTr?ngspassing,Icouldntholdbackmytears.Despitebeingthehighestleader,helivedaverysimpleandapproachablelife,whichendearedhimtothepeopleevenmore.Thosewhocouldnotcometothefuneralwatchedthelivebroadcastofthememorialserviceontelevision.ColonelNguy?nTháiHòa,whojoinedthePartyformorethan55yearsago,couldnothidehisemotionsashewatchedthenationalmourningceremonyontelevision.HepraisedtheGeneralSecretaryasaculturalfigurewhodedicatedhislifetothenationuntiltheend.Vi?tNamhasneverhadsuchwealth,potential,internationalstatureandprestigeasitdoesnow.GeneralSecretaryNguy?nPhúTr?ngwasaleaderwithvision,alwaysdedicatinghimselftothegoalofaprosperous,strong,andcivilisedsociety.Oneofhisnotablelegaciesishis‘bamboodiplomacy,andhewasanoutstandingstudentofPresidentH?ChíMinh,Hòasaid.HàV?nBeo,76,fromB?nTreProvince,gotupat3amtocatchabustoHCMCityforthememorialceremony.Despitehisage,hefeltnofatigueandeagerlyawaitedhischancetopayhisrespectstotheesteemedleader.Asacitizen,Ideeplymournthepassingofsuchareveredleaderandplannedtobeheretopaymyrespectsandpraybeforehisportrait.AlthoughInevermethim,hisworkhasgreatlybenefitedthecountryanditspeople,hesaid,fightingbacktears.Hoàng??nNh?tTan,formerEditor-in-ChiefofTu?iTr?newspaperandchairmanoftheH?ChíMinhCityYouthUnionstraditionalclub,said:AlthoughthePartyChiefhaspassedaway,theVietnameserevolutionwillcontinueandthecountrywilladvancealongthepathsetbythePartyandPresidentH?ChíMinh.PeoplequeuingtopayrespectstoGeneralSecretaryNguy?nPhúTr?ng.—VNA/VNSPhotoInhishomelandEarlyinthemorning,groupsofpeoplegatheredrespectfullyattheculturalhousetopaytheirrespectstotheGeneralSecretary.ThroughoutL?i?àVillage,??ngH?iCommuneofHàN?is??ngAnhDistrict,theGeneralSecretaryshomeland,theatmospherewasfilledwithgrief,pride,andrespectfortheGeneralSecretary.Blackflagsandmourningribbonshavebeendisplayedbyresidentsforseveraldays.Securityandsafetyforthefuneralarewell-managedbylocalforces,ensuringsmoothproceedingsinspiteofthelargecrowds.Insidehouse,thephotosshowcasingtheGeneralSecretaryssimplelifearedisplayedbesidethealtar.Theceremonybeganwithfamilymembersandrelativespayingtheirrespects,followedbyhundredsoflocalresidentsandneighbours.Everyonewasovercomewithgriefforthedistinguishedsonoftheirhomeland.PhanAnhXuan,fromL?i?àVillage,said:SincelearningoftheGeneralSecretaryspassing,Ifeellikelosingaclosefamilymember.Standingherewaitingtopaymyrespects,Iamfilledwithprideandhonourforhavingaleaderwhodedicatedhislifetothecountry.Heisagreatexampleforustofollow,andwepledgetoliveandworkaccordingtohisnoblespirit.ColonelLêV?nHà,aformersoldierfrom??ngAnhDistrict,expressedhisadmirationfortheGeneralSecretaryscharacterandresolveinbothrevolutionaryworkanddailylife.HehopedthatfuturegenerationswillcontinuetoupholdthespiritandidealsofGeneralSecretaryNguy?nPhúTr?ngtobuildthenation.V??ngB?oNam,asixth-gradestudentfromNg?Quy?nSecondarySchool,arrivedearlywithhisteacherandclassmates.Heironedhisschooluniformmeticulouslyfortheoccasion.Ihavereadmanystoriesabouthim.Ideeplyadmirehimandwillfollowhisexampleofpatriotism,simplicityandmodesty.Iwillstrivetobeagoodcitizen,hesaidwithhiseyesfulloftears.—VNS

Chínhtr?S?ki?nTh?B?y,07/12/2024-17:24S?cóchínhsáchv??ttr?idànhchocánb?,c?ngch?cd?id?khitinhg?nb?máyThuH?ngXemcácbàivi?tc?atácgi?Saochépliênk?t07/12/2024?17:24(GMT+07:00)B?N?iv??angnghiênc?uxayd?ngc?ch?,chínhsách??m?nhvàv??ttr?i??làmc?s?s?px?p,tinhgi?n??ing?cánb?,c?ngch?ckhiti?nhànhs?px?p.T?ih?pbáoChínhph?chi?u7/12,báochí??tcauh?iv?iB?N?iv?v?h??ngx?lyliênquan??nch???,chínhsách??iv?icánb?,c?ngch?c,viênch?cd?id?khith?chi?ntinhg?nb?máy.Tr?l?iv?n??trên,Chánhv?nphòng,ng??iphátng?nB?N?iv?V???ngMinhchobi?t,??cóc?s?ti?nhànhs?px?pt?ch?ctinhg?nb?máytheoch???oc?aT?ngBíth?,BanCh?phànhTrung??ng,BanCh???oChínhph?giaoB?N?iv?nghiênc?uxayd?ngc?ch?chínhsách??m?nhvàv??ttr?i??làmc?s?s?px?p,tinhgi?n??ing?cánb?,c?ngch?ckhiti?nhànhs?px?p.Chánhv?nphòng,ng??iphátng?nB?N?iv?V???ngMinh.?nh:QuangPhúc?aylàv?n??nh?yc?m,ph?ct?p,tác??ngr?tl?n??nx?h?inh?ng?òih?ilàmnhanh.B?N?iv??angxayd?ngd?th?ongh???nhliênquan??nn?idungnày,?ngMinhchohay.Theo?ngMinh,hi?nnayB?N?iv??ang?ánhgiátác??ng,nghiênc?unhi?uchi?u,k?l??ng??làmsao??mb?otínhkh?thic?achínhsáchsaukhibanhành;??mb?ocóc?ch?gi?iquy?t,chínhsáchphùh?pchocánb?,c?ngch?ctrongb?máycónguy?nv?ng,nhuc?uchuy?nsangcáckhuv?ckhác,kh?nglàmtrongc?quannhàn??cn?a.??ngth?i,cóc?ch???gi?channg??itài,??mb?onguyênt?cxayd?ngn?nc?ngv?theoh??ngth?ctài,thuhútng??icótàin?ngtrongn??cvàqu?ct?.?aylàv?n??r?tc?nc?,baotrùm,c?n?ánhgiá?úngtác??ng??cóc?s?chínhtr?,pháply??th?chi?n.B?N?iv??angxayd?ngd?th?o,xinyki?nBanCáns???ngChínhph?,BanCh???oChínhph?.Sau?ós?trìnhxinyki?nc?aBanCh???oTrung??ng,B?Chínhtr?.Saukhicóyki?nc?aB?Chínhtr?m?itrìnhChínhph?xemxétth?ngquatheoquytrìnhrútg?n??cóchínhsáchth?chi?nngay,??ngb?v?icác??ánkhác.B?N?iv??angt?ptrunglàmngày,làm?êmcùngv?icácb?ngànhv?itinhth?nv?ach?yv?ax?phàng,ng??iphátng?nB?N?iv?nh?nm?nh.?ngMinhchobi?t,liênquan??nv?n??b?trís?px?pconng??iph?icóchínhsáchv??ttr?i,??m?nhv?itinhth?nv?a??mb?om?ctiêutinhg?nvànangcaoch?tl??ng??ing?nh?ng??ngth?ib?o??mtính?n??nhpháttri?n.Cùngv?i?ólàquantam??ntamt?,nguy?nv?ngchính?ángc?a??ing?cánb?,c?ngch?c.Songsongv?ichínhsáchtinhgi?n,c?ngc?ntínhtoán?utiênb?trính?ngng??icótrình??,ph?mch?t,n?ngl?cv??ttr?i,cókinhnghi?m,thamniênc?ngtác,cóuytín,chuyênm?nsauv?l?nhv?cc?angànhvà??mb?onguyênt?c??ngthu?nhaibên,???cs?th?ngnh?tc?ang??i??ng??uc?quan.Ng??icótrình??,n?ngl?cnhìnth?ycókho?ntàichínhh?pd?nh?nthìh?cóth?tínhtoánxinngh?rangoài,?aylàvi?cr?tbìnhth??ng.Chonênchúngtaph?itínhtoán??cóchínhsáchc?nc?bàib?n,??tm?ctiêutinhg?nb?máyvàtáic?utrúc,nangcaoch?tl??ng??ing?cánb?,c?ngch?ccó??n?ngl?c,ph?mch?tngangt?mnhi?mv?saus?px?p,?ngMinhphantích.V?C?ngMinh,HeadoftheENTDepartmentatFVHospital,speaksattheComprehensiveApproachforTreatmentofSnoringandSleepApnoeaSyndromeCMETrainingProgrammelastweekinC?nTh?City.—VNSPhotoC?NTH?–FVHospital,incollaborationwithC?nTh?ENTHospitalinC?nTh?CityandwiththeconsultationofThomsonMedicalGroup(Singapore),organisedtheComprehensiveApproachforTreatmentofSnoringandSleepApnoeaSyndromeCMETrainingProgrammelastweek.Thetrainingprogrammeattractedmorethan300doctorsspecialisinginmaxillofacialsurgery,ENT,generalsurgery,andnutritionfrom25hospitalsacrossninesouthernprovinces.Theprogrammegarneredmuchinterestandhighpraiseforitsprofessionalisminorganisationandthequalityofthepresentationsfromtheparticipatingdoctors.V?C?ngMinh,HeadoftheENTDepartmentatFVHospital,saidarecentstudyshows8.5percentofVi?tNamspopulationsufferfromsleepapnoea.Thisisadangerousconditionifleftuntreatedandcanleadtonumerouscomplicationssuchashypertension,diabetes,cardiovasculardisease,strokeandatriplingofmortalityriskover15years.Heemphasisedthatsleepapnoeaisduetovariouscauses,includinglifestylechanges,obesity,andotherchronicconditions.Nguy?nVi?tQu?nhTh?,HeadoftheDieteticsNutritionDepartmentatFVHospital,saidthatforevery10percentincreaseinbodyweight,theriskincreasessixfold.Therefore,weightlossiscrucialandpatientscansignificantlyreducetheseverityofsleepapnoeabyfollowingabalanceddiet,engaginginregularexercise,andusingmedicationifnecessary.IncaseswherepatientshaveahighBodyMassIndex(BMI)(BMI35orBMI30withmultiplecomorbidities),andweightreductionthroughdiet,exercise,andmedicationisnoteffective,surgicalmethodssuchasgastricbypasssurgerymaybeconsidered.Dr.BarrieTan,arenownedENTfromGleneaglesHospital,Singapore,presentedAdvancedEarSurgeryandHearingImplants–LatestTechnologyandTrends,providingupdatesonadvancedtechniquesintreatinghearingdisorders.Dr.TansparticipationunderscoresFVHospitalscommitmenttoitsstrategyofBringingSingaporeanMedicinetoVi?tNam.–VNSNguy?n??ngTùng,chairmanofPhúNhu?nDistrictinHCMCity,receivesadecisionissuedbythecityPeoplesCommitteethathisdistricthascompletelyalleviatedpoverty.—VNA/VNSPhotoHCMCITY—PhúNhu?nDistricthasachievedthetargetofhavingnosinglehouseholdunderaHCMCitypovertyalleviationprogramme,accordingtoitsPeoplesCommittee.SpeakingataceremonyheldonTuesdaytoannouncetheachievement,itschairman,Nguy?n??ngTùng,saidthedistrictcompletedthegoaloneyearaheadofschedule.Thedistricts13wardsarehometonearly47,300households.Underthecityssustainablepovertyreductionprogrammefor2021-25,639householdswith2,688memberswereidentifiedaspoorand447otherswith1,741memberswereidentifiedasnear-poor,hesaid.Underthecitysmultidimensionalpovertymeasurementcriteria,apoorhouseholdhasanannualincomeofbelowVN?36million($1,400)perperson,whileforanear-poorhouseholditisVN?36-46million($1,800).AsoftheendofMarchthedistricthadnopoorhouseholdsandonly292near-poorhouseholds,hesaid.Variousmeasureshavebeentakentohelpthepoorincludingfinancialsupportforhealthinsurance,electricbillsandschoolfees,scholarshipsandlow-interestloans,headded.Theothereightdistrictswhichnolongerhavepoorhouseholdsare5,3,7,10,11,TanPhú,BìnhTan,andC?Chi.TheprogrammehadacapitaloutlayofVN?15.1trillion($592.5million).—VNS

M??ngP?n1villageinM??ngP?nCommune,?i?nBiênDistrictinthenorthernmountainousprovinceof?i?nBiênliesinruinsaftertheflashfloodinWednesdaynight.VNA/VNSPhotoXuanT??BP—Flashfloodsandfloodingcausedbyprolongedheavyrainsledtotwodeaths,twoinjuredandleftfivepeoplemissingafterwreakinghavoconM??ngP?nCommune,?i?nBiênDistrictinthenorthernmountainousprovinceof?i?nBiênonWednesdaynight.Theflashfloodsweptawaymanyhousesanddozensofhectaresofricefields.Thefloodsinjuredtwopeopleandcausedsignificantpropertydamage.Familymembersanxiouslyawaitnewsaboutthemissingvictims.Abouttenhousesweresweptaway,eighthousescollapsedandaround100otherhouseswerepartlydamaged.Manyhectaresofricefieldswerecompletelydestroyed.Localauthoritiesandresidentsworktoaddresstheaftermathoftheflashflood.ThetotalestimateddamageisVN?2.7billion(US$106,520).LandslidesandmudblockedroadscausedtrafficcongestiononNationalHighway12,passingthroughtheL?nhvillageareainM??ngP?nCommune.Rescueforcesmakeeffortstosearchforthemissingvictims.Authoritiesarestillsearchingforthemissingpersonsandaddressingtheflooddamage.—VNSBayerVietnamisworkingwithHanoiStrokeAssociationandtheUniversityofOxfordtoimprovestrokecareandresearch.—PhotocourtesyofBayerVietnamHàN?I—Bayer,theHanoiStrokeAssociation(HNSA),andtheUniversityofOxfordrecentlysignedaMemorandumofUnderstanding(MoU)toenhancethequalityofstrokemanagementandscientificresearchinVi?tNam.TheMoUsingingceremonytookplaceattheStrokeCentre,B?chMaiHospital,HàN?i.Vi?tNamisoneofthecountrieswiththehighestincidencerateofstroke,withabout200,000strokepatientseveryyear.StrokesarenowamongthetopcausesofdeathinVi?tNam,withmorefatalcasesthancardiovasculardiseases.Amongsurvivors,thisconditioncausesdisabilityandcreatesagreatburdenonfamilymembersandcommunities.However,Vi?tNamfacesacriticallackofdataandinformationtoenhancestrokecareandresearch.AttheMoUsigningceremony,AssociateProf.Dr.MaiDuyT?n,directoroftheStrokeCentatB?chMaiHospitalandchairmanoftheHanoiStrokeAssociation,highlightedtheimportanceofupdatingknowledgeformedicalstaff.ManyVietnamesedoctorsarenotfullyawareoftheroleofscientificresearchinsupportingtreatmentpractice.Whilemostattentionispaidtopatientcare,itisvitalforhealthcareprofessionalstoupdatescientificknowledgetoimprovediagnosticcapacityandtreatmentoutcomes.UndertheMoU,thethreepartieswilldevelopacomprehensiveprogrammetitledImprovingtheQualityofScientificResearchandStrokeManagement,period2024-2025,comprisingvariouskeyareasofco-operation,includingscientificresearch,educationalprogrammes,datadevelopmentandpublication.Bynarrowingdatagaps,thiscollectiveeffortsupportsimprovedclinicaldecision-makingandpatientcareoptimisation.IngoBrandenburg,ManagingDirectorofBayerVietnam,said:Bayerwillactivelycollaboratewithmedicalexpertsinthedevelopmentoftrainingprogrammesforhealthcareprofessionalsandthecommunity.Leveragingourscientificexpertise,wewillprovideinputtoenhancethequalityoftrainingandeducationprogrammes,facilitateknowledgeupdates,furthercontributingtotheoverallobjectivesofthepartnership,inconsultationwiththeHanoiStrokeAssociation,UniversityofOxford,andrespectiveexpertsinvolved.Tr?nMinhC?ng,postdoctoralresearcherattheUniversityofOxford,said:Todayssigningmarksthebeginningofanewchapterinourcollaborativeeffortstoenhancethecapacityofscientificresearchandstrokemanagement.ThiscollaborationwiththeHanoiStrokeAssociationandBayerVietnamunderscoresoursharedvisionofimprovinghealthcareoutcomesthroughinnovativeresearch,comprehensiveclinicaltraining,andthedevelopmentofcutting-edgemedicalguidelines.Furthermore,thepartnershipseekstoestablishandnurtureprofessionalcollaborationwithinternationalorganisationstoelevatethequalityofstrokeresearchinVi?tNam.Bycombininglocalexpertiseanddatawithtechnicalguidancefromexpertsatleadingmedicalinstitutionsoverseas,multi-nationalprojectsareexpectedtogeneratemorerobustinsightsapplicableworldwide,strengtheningtheglobalcontributionofVietnamesestrokespecialistswhilespeedingupadoptionofevidence-basedbestpracticesinthecountry.VNS

Theappearanceof?anPh??ngDistrictsnewruralareas.HàN?I–AftermorethanadecadeofimplementingHàN?isnewruraldevelopmentprogramme,?anPh??ngDistricthasconsistentlyledthecitysefforts,thankstothetirelessworkofboththelocalgovernmentandresidents.Theircollectivededicationhastransformedthedistrictintoaplacethatisbright,green,clean,beautiful,safe,andsmart.?anPh??ngDistrictimpressesvisitorswithitsspacious,litter-freevillageroadsandalleywaysacrossmostcommunes.Theroadsidesareadornedwithneatlyplantedgreentreesthatprovideshade,alongwithvibrantflowerbedsthataddtothescenicbeauty.Nguy?nTh?Thu,aresidentofSongPh??ngCommune,sharedherexperience:WhenSongPh??ngCommunelaunchedtherurallandscapedevelopmentmovement,myfamilyandotherhouseholdsinthecommuneactivelyrenovatedanddecoratedourhousegatesandgardens,andplantedflowersandgreeneryinfrontofourhomes.Acleanenvironmentandbeautifulsceneryhaveimprovedourhealth,boostedourworkingspirit,andbroughtjoytoeveryone,sheadded.Youngpeoplejointhecompetitiontokeepingtheirvillagebright,green,clean,beautiful,safe,andsmart.Thishashelpedraisepublicawarenessandencouragedresidentstoactivelyparticipateinenvironmentalbeautificationandcleanliness.AftermorethanadecadeofimplementingHàN?isnewruraldevelopmentprogramme,?anPh??ngDistricthasconsistentlyledthecitysefforts,thankstothetirelessworkofboththelocalgovernmentandresidents.Theircollectivededicationhastransformedthedistrictintoaplacethatisbright,green,clean,beautiful,safe,andsmart.?anPh??ngDistrictimpressesvisitorswithitsspacious,litter-freevillageroadsandalleywaysacrossmostcommunes.Theroadsidesareadornedwithneatlyplantedgreentreesthatprovideshade,alongwithvibrantflowerbedsthataddtothescenicbeauty.Nguy?nTh?Thu,aresidentofSongPh??ngCommune,sharedherexperience:WhenSongPh??ngCommunelaunchedtherurallandscapedevelopmentmovement,myfamilyandotherhouseholdsinthecommuneactivelyrenovatedanddecoratedourhousegatesandgardens,andplantedflowersandgreeneryinfrontofourhomes.Acleanenvironmentandbeautifulsceneryhaveimprovedourhealth,boostedourworkingspirit,andbroughtjoytoeveryone,sheadded.TheroadinThápTh??ngHamlet,SongPh??ngCommune,?anPh??ngDistrict,islinedwithgreentreesandcolourfulflowers.ThefirststepforQuyHamletwastoinstallacompletelightingsystemonallroads.Inaddition,thehamletencouragedeveryonetoparticipateinenvironmentalcleaning,withhouseholdsinvolvedintradesorlivestockmanagementtakingresponsibilityforcleaningaroundtheirhomes.?àoTh?H?ng,ViceChairwomanofthe?anPh??ngDistrictPeoplesCommittee,reportedthatthedistricthasdevelopedmodelareasforvillagesandresidentialgroupstobebright,green,clean,beautiful,safe,andsmartovertheyears.Since2019,thedistricthasmobilisedoverVN?35billion(US$1.39million)toenhancetheappearanceofvillagesandhamlets.ThisincludespaintingsinthecommunesofSongPh??ng,Th??ngM?,and?anPh??ng,aswellastheconstructionofmodeldykesinH?ngHà,H?M?,TrungChau,LiênTrung,andSongPh??ngcommunes.AuthoritiesinspecttheimplementationofthenewruraldevelopmentmovementinH?M?Commune,?anPh??ngDistrict.Throughthisinitiative,thedistricthasestablishedover460flowerroutes,paintedmorethan15,000squaremetresofmuralsandceramicartworks,andupgradednumerousstreetsandalleyswithasphaltpaving,welcomegates,andvibrantdecorations.Notably,manyresidentshavevoluntarilydonatedlandtobuildroadsandwidenalleys.Currently,?anPh??ngboastsover200villagesandresidentialareasrecognisedfortheirachievementsinthisprogramme.Nguy?nV?nChí,DeputyDirectoroftheHàN?iNewRuralDevelopmentProgrammeOffice,statedthat?anPh??nghasconsistentlyledthenewruraldevelopmentmovementinthecityformanyyears.Hehighlightedthedistrictsinnovativeapproachtomaintainingenvironmentalcleanliness,notingthatithassignificantlyraisedpublicawarenessaboutprotectingtheirlocalenvironment.Headdedthat?anPh??ngsnewruraldevelopmentexperiencesarehighlycommendableandserveasavaluablemodelforotherregions,contributingtomakingHàN?isruralareasmoreprosperousandlivable.?anPh??ngisnowthefirstdistrictinthecitywhereall15communeshaveachievednewruraldevelopmentstandards.-VNS*ThearticleispublishedunderthecoordinationoftheCoordinationOfficeoftheNew-StyleRuralDevelopmentProgrammeinHàN?i.

SatellitecitiesandtheareassurroundingHàN?iaremakingprogressinagriculturewhilepreservingandpromotingthevaluesofancientvillages.—PhotocourtesyofHàN?iDepartmentofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentHàN?I—HàN?iboastsauniqueagriculture,intheheartofthecity,whichrequiressignificanteffortstosustainablydevelopthesectorfollowingmodern,cleanandorganicpractices.Thecitysagriculturalgrowthmustalsobelinkedwiththecirculareconomyandtheprocessingindustryandensuresustainableconnectiontotheglobalvaluechains.AccordingtoNguy?nM?nhQuy?n,vicechairmanofHàN?iPeoplesCommittee,withthecapitalcityscurrentconditions,thefocusliesintheproduceandfarmingmodels,ratherthantheproductionprocess.Thesemustbesuitabletotheecologicalconditions,environmentalprotectionmeasures,aswellasthecapitalcityseconomicscale.Therefore,HàN?iagriculturemustleverageitsintellectualpowerinproduction,hesaid.Whilethescalemightnotbeextensive,thesectormustemployadvancedtechnologyforhighqualityandproductvalue.Inaddition,localfarmingshouldutiliseHàN?isecologicalandculturalstrengthstodevelopauniqueagriculture.Asthecapitalcityandaneconomicandculturalcentreofthecountry,HàN?imustalsoactasafocalpointofthemarketeconomy,atranshipmenthubandanintermediatepointbetweenmunicipalandprovincialeconomiesnationwide,saidQuy?n.DirectorofHàN?iDepartmentofAgricultureandRuralDevelopmentNguy?nXuan??iaddedthatHàN?iaspirestotransformthesuburbanzonesofthecitywithanewapproach,whichemphasisesthetraditionalculturalfoundationandimprovedlivingstandardsintheseareas.Thecitysconceptof‘urbanareaswithinvillages,villageswithinurbanareasisalsoexpectedtocontributetotheformationofagriculturalandsuburbantourismdestinations.HàN?ialsoneedstofocusonplanningfarmingzonesbasedoneconomicandecologicalfunctions,todevelopmodernurbanagriculture,basedonitspeoplesculturalvalues,theRedRiverDeltaagriculturalcivilisationandinalignmentwithinternationalintegrationandglobalconnections,said??i.Accordingly,thecapitalcitymustdevelopspecificmechanismsintheplanningandmanagementofitsagriculturalzones,aswellasagrowthdirectionthatfitseachofitsdevelopmentzones.Specifically,inthehistoricalinner-city,HàN?ishoulddevelopurbanagriculturefollowingthemodelofacirculareconomywithhightechnology,eliteandsmartfarmingpractices,creatinggreenspacesandecologicallandscapes.Meanwhile,inthelargerurbanarea,thegrowthdirectionshouldfollowthemodelof‘citywithincity,whiletheouterzoneswithinfuturecitydistrictsshouldbescaleduptourbanareaswhereagriculturalmodelsalignwitheco-tourism,offeringtouristexperiencesandleisureactivities.Satelliteurbanzonesandadjacentareasshouldbedesignatedforagriculturalproductionandpreservingandpromotingthevaluesofancientvillages,craftvillages,aswellaseducationalandexperientialtourism.KeyagriculturalproductionareasincludethedistrictsofBaVì,PhúcTh?,?ngHòa,M???c,Qu?cOaiandTh?chTh?t,whichwillfocusonlarge-scalecommodityagriculturalproduction,agriculturalwithindustrialcombination,high-techagricultureandscience-technologyapplications,linkedwiththedevelopmentofagriculturalsupplychainsintheRedRiverDelta.Aimingtobeatranshipmentandconnectionhub,HàN?ihasbeenmakinggreatprogressinforminglinksthatallowforsafe,high-qualityfarmproducesupplyforpeople.Thecapitalcitycontinuestomaintainandgrowits159safeagriculturalproductionandconsumptionchains,ofwhich53areforanimalproductsand106areforvegetables.Thesechainshavesuccessfullyengagedmultiplebusinesses,cooperativesandfarmers.HàN?isagriculturalsectoralsocoordinateswith43citiesandprovincesnationwidetoproactivelymanageandsupportthedevelopmentof926safefoodsupplychainsforthecapitalcity.DirectorofBigGreenCoLtdNguy?nTi?nH?ngaddedthathiscompanyhasestablishedvariousstoresinHàN?itointroducefarmproducefromothercitiesandprovinces.WiththeshrinkingfarminglandinHàN?i,agriculturalbusinessesinthecityneedtodevelopmorelinkswithothercitiesandprovincesforasteadysupplyforthepeople.Currently,productsundertheOCOP(OneCommune-OneProduct)Programmeaccountfor60-65percentofBigGreensoffering.Thecompanyalsohas85OCOPproductsalepointsin25townsanddistricts,wherestoremanagerswillprioritisemarketingHàN?isOCOPproducts.Meanwhile,thankstocroprestructuringandfocusingonhigh-qualityseedlings,HàN?ihasdevelopedmultiplehigh-techandcost-effectivemodels.Thecitynowboasts285high-techagriculturalproductionmodels,including185inplantcultivation,45inlivestockfarming,54inaquacultureandonecombiningplantcultivationandlivestockfarming.Severalmodelshaveinvestedinadvancedtechnologyandequipment,whichhasbroughtpositiveeconomicresultsinalignmentwiththecityscircumstances.Alongsidecroprestructuring,HàN?ihasalsobeenworkingonmultiplegreenagriculturalmodelslinkedwitheco-tourism.Todate,58.9percentofthecapitalcityslandisruralandagriculturalareasconnectedwithgreenproductionzones.HàN?ismajorplansinexecutionhaveidentifiedafocusoninvestinganddevelopingecologicalagricultureandmaximisingresourcesfromurbanagriculture.DrTr?n??cViên,chairmanoftheAcademyCouncilattheVietnamNationalUniversityofAgriculture,believesthatHàN?isagriculturalsectorisontherighttrack.Thelocalagricultureshouldleveragethecityshumanresources,intellectualpoweranditspositionasaneconomiccentre,hesaid.Theagriculturaleconomyisnotsimplyaboutproductionbutalsotheefficiencyofproductionmodels,Viênsaid,addingthatHàN?imustbethesupplysourceofhigh-qualityrawmaterialsandinputsaswellasintellectualpowertoothercitiesandprovinces.HàN?ineedstodevelopappropriatelandresourcesalongsideafavourableinfrastructurefortheecologicalenvironmentandtheplannedsatellitecities,allwhileformingspacesforthecitysbufferzoneswherethelocalagriculturalsectorleveragesitsstrengths,hesaid.—VNSStudentsof?oànK?tPrimarySchoolinLongBiênDistrict,HàN?ieatlunch.VNA/VNSPhotoHàN?IAnumberoffoodpoisoningcasesreportedrecentlyatschoolsnationwideraisedtheurgentneedtostrengthensupervisiononschoolmeals,aswellashighlightingtheimportanceofcarefullyselectingandmanagingschoolmealproviders.DrTr??ngH?ngS?n,deputysecretarygeneraloftheVietnamMedicalAssociation,directoroftheVi?tNamInstituteofAppliedMedicine,saidschoolmealsareveryimportantforchildrenshealth,especiallyforpreschoolandprimaryschoolchildren.Theirimmunesystemisnotyetcompleteandtheycanbesusceptibletodigestivedisorders.However,wehavenotpaidenoughattentiontoschoolmealsafety.Everyyear,foodpoisoningcasesstilloccurbecausemanystagesinthesupplychaindonotensurefoodhygieneandsafety,hesaid.TheMinistryofEducationandTrainingrecentlyissueddecisionsguidingtheorganisationofschoolmealscombinedwithincreasingphysicalactivityforstudentsatpreschools,primaryandsecondaryschools.Accordingtoparentsandteachers,thequalityofschoolmealshavebeenimproving.Manyschoolshaveestablishedfoodsafetymonitoringteamsandsomeschoolsmanagewhoentersandleavesthekitchenarea.ConcernedaboutthereputationofunitsandbusinessesprovidingschoolsmealsHoàngTh?Xuan,aparentofathirdgraderinC?uGi?yDistrict,HàN?i,saidTheteachermentionsthenamesofmealproviders.However,parentsdonotknowwhatthoseunitsarelikeorwhattheircapabilitiesare.PhùngNg?cLiên,aparentinNamT?LiêmDistrict,HàN?i,saidstudentsmealsarepaidforbytheirparents,butparentsonlyknowthemealprovidersnamethroughthenoticeoftheschool.Theschoolisnotinvolvedinthesupplierselectionprocess.Eveninthefamilysdailymeals,choosingsafe,freshfoodisnoteasy,soprovidingmealsforthousandsofstudentsatschoolisevenmoredifficult.Thisworryisnotjustminebutsharedbymanyotherparents,shetoldVietnamNewsAgency.Inthisnewschoolyear,Iwillpaymoreattentiontomychildrensmealsaswellasthecriteriaforchoosingtheschoolsmealsupplier.Someparentshavegoneasfarastochangeschoolfortheirchildrenbecausetheschoolmealsafetywasnotguaranteed.Nguy?nThuH?ng,amotherinLongBiênDistrict,HàN?i,saidChildrenneedadequate,safeandreasonablenutritiontodevelopbothphysicallyandmentally.Thisyear,IdecidedtochangetheschoolformychildrenbecauseIrealisedthattheirmealsatschoollastyearwerenotsafeenough.Shewishedparentscouldbedirectlyinvolvedintheprocessofselectingfoodsuppliersandcoordinatewiththeschooltocontroltheirchildrensdailymeals.DrHoàngNg?cVinh,formerdirectoroftheDepartmentofProfessionalEducation,MinistryofEducationandTraining,saidtoimprovethequalityofschoolmeals,firstofall,thereneedstobeclosecooperationamongschools,parentsandauthoritiesinselectingandsupervisingmealproviders.Selectioncriterianeedtobeestablishedtransparently,basedontheactualcapacityofthesupplier.Schoolsneedtopubliclydiscloseinformationaboutmealproviders,includingfoodorigin,cookingprocessandcertificationsrelatedtofoodsafety.Parentsneedtohavetherighttoaccessandgetinvolvedinthismonitoringprocess,hesaid.Authoritiesneedtostrengtheninspectionandsupervisionoffoodqualityatcateringunits.Businessesneedtoberesponsibleandcommittedtothequalityofthefoodtheyprovide.Inparticular,thereshouldbestrictsanctionsforviolatingbusinessestoprotectthehealthandrightsofstudents,hesaid.Schoolsoftenchoosemealprovidersbasedoncertaincriteria,sometimesonlycheckingcertificationswhichcanbefake.Thequalityofstudentsmealsdependsgreatlyontheresponsibilityandconscienceofthesuppliersandtheschoolssupervision.Nguy?nVanAnh,amotherinHàN?isBa?ìnhDistrict,saidmembersoftheparentsassociationshouldactasthesupervisortocheckonthequalityofthemeals.Whendeliveringmealstochildren,parentscanevensitandeattogetherwithchildren.VNS

DeepfloodsatanewurbanareaafteraheavyrainonJuly24inHà??ngDistrict,makingitdifficultforvehiclestomove.—VNA/VNSPhotoTu?nAnhHàN?I—ManyareasinHàN?iwereininundatedwithextensivefloodingfollowingintenserainfall,arecurringproblemoverpastyearsthathasdisruptedresidentsdailylives.Inanarrowalleysubmergedinwater,HoàngTh?H??ng,fromVi?tH?ngWard,LongBiênDistrict,pulledoutherphonetocallherhusbandforapairofwellies.TheheavyrainonJuly23hadleftheralleyseverelyflooded,withwaterlevelsrisingbetween50and65cminplaces.Thisisntthefirsttimeouralleyhasfloodedsodeeply,H??ngsaid.Thatevening,H??nglefthermotorcycleatafriendshousecloseby,worethewelliesandwadedthroughthewatertoherhome.Thenextmorning,asthewaterhadstillnotreceded,shehadtowadebackouttoretrieveherbiketogotothemarketforgroceries.Onthatday,herchildhadtomissschoolandherhusbandtookadayoffworktolookafterthechildandcleanupthefloodedkitchenarea.Meanwhile,H??ngsneighbour,Ph?mTh?Ng?n,spenttheentirenightawakeduetowaterenteringherhomeonJuly23.At3am,Ifeltwetonmybackandrealisedthatthewaterhadalreadyfloodedtheentirehouse.Thatnight,myhusbandandI,alongwithourthreechildren,tookturnsbailingoutthewater,shesaid.Ng?nsaid,drawingfromexperiencewithpreviousheavyrains,shebuiltasandbagbarrierinfrontofherhousetopreventflooding.However,thedownpouronthenightofJuly23intotheearlyhoursofJuly24causedsomesandbagstoburstandwaterseepedthroughcracksinthewalls,leadingtofloodingthroughoutherhome.Similarly,theheavyrainonJuly23alsodisruptedthelivesofmanyresidentsinAnKhánhurbanarea,Hoài??cDistrict.ThebasementofahouseinAnKhánhurbanareaisfloodedafteraheavyrainonJuly24.—VNA/VNSPhotoTu?nAnhTr?nV?nNguyên,aresidentatalocalapartmentcomplex,likenedhishometoanislandwhenevertherewasheavyrain.NguyênsaidthatontheeveningofJuly23,ittookhimthreehourstotravelfromhisofficeinC?uGi?yDistricttohishomeduetotheheavyrain.Uponreachinghisapartmentcomplex,hefoundtheareaseverelyflooded,forcinghimtoparkhiscarbytheroadsideandwalkaboutakilometretohishome.Thefollowingmorning,hegotupearlytowadetowork,packinganextrasetofclothesinhisbagjustincasehegotwet.TheHàN?isDepartmentofTransportsaidtherewerecurrently30blackspotsinthecitythatfloodwheneveritrainedheavily,leadingtotrafficcongestionandimpactingresidentsdailyactivities.ThespotsincludedNguy?nKhuy?nStreet,HoaB?ngStreet,thePhanB?iChau-LyTh??ngKi?tintersection,MinhKhaiStreet(atthefootofV?nhTuyBridge)andTh?ngLongAvenue.ArepresentativefromHàN?iSewerageandDrainageCompanyLimitedsaidduetotheeffectsoftyphoonPrapiroon,widespreadrainfalloccurredonthenightofJuly23andthemorningofJuly24.Rainfallmeasurementsat6amonJuly24rangedfrom138mmto295.8mm.Theextensiveandprolongedheavyrainfallhadcausedwaterlevelsinriversandlakestorise,leadingtonumerousfloodpointsinLongBiên,C?uGi?y,TayH?,ThanhXuan,andHà??ngdistricts.Notably,onTh?ngLongAvenue,underpasseswereseverelyflooded,submergingmanymotorcyclesandmakingtraveldifficult.CausesTherepresentativesaidtheprolongedfloodinginTh?ngLongAvenuewasduetotheareasbeinglowerlyingcomparedtotheirsurroundings.Consequently,duringheavyrains,waterflowedrapidlytowardstheselowareas,causinglocalisedflooding.?àoNg?cNghiêm,vicepresidentoftheVi?tNamUrbanDevelopmentandPlanningAssociationtalkedtoLao??ng(Labour)onlinenewspaper,explainingthatthefloodingwasbecausethewaterdrainagesystemintheareawasnotconnectedtothemaindrainagechannels.Additionally,themaindrainagesystemsoutsidetheurbanareaslackedpumpingstations,resultingininsufficientdrainagecapacityduringheavyrains.Nghiêmsaidaccordingtoglobalbestpracticesinfloodprevention,aboutthreetofivepercentoflandshouldbeusedaswaterretentionlakes.However,HàN?icurrentlyonlyhadaroundtwopercentoflandusedasreservoirs.Althoughthecityhadnumerousdrainagechannels,manyofthemwereblockedorwerenotusedeffectively.Thecitywasnowdividedintothreedrainagezones,consistingofthenorthofthecityandtheleftandrightbanksofthe?áyRiver.However,localpumpingstationstotransferwatertomainstationshadnotbeenfullyestablished.Manypumpingstationswerestillinadequateoryettobebuilt,hesaid.SolutionsTherefore,Nghiêmrecommendedthatexistingdrainageprojectsbereviewedandadjusted.Additionally,regularmaintenanceofsewers,channelsandditcheswascrucial,alongwithcomprehensiveresearchintotheriversystemsflowingthroughthecity.Tofixthesituation,thecityisimplementingseveralprojects,suchasupgradingthePh??ngTr?chPumpStationin??ngAnhDistrictandimprovingthedrainagesystemintheYênNgh?aPumpStationinHà??ngDistrict.Moreover,numerousprojectsareintheplanningstages,includingtheleftbankoftheNhu?Riverdrainagesystem,theHà??ngDistrictdrainagesystemontherightbankoftheNhu?River,theGiaTh??ngpumpingstation,theC?Kh?iwaterretentionlakeandTh??ngThanhdrainagechannelinLongBiênDistrict.Tr?nhNg?cS?n,deputygeneraldirectorofHàN?iSewerageandDrainageCompanyLimitedsaidinthelongterm,thecityneededtoinvestindrainageinfrastructureaccordingtotheurbanplanningframework,includingnewpumpingstationssuchasNamTh?ngLongandBaX?aswellaswaterretentionlakeslikeC?Nhu?1,C?Nhu?2andPhú??tomitigatefloodinginthearea.Inparticular,forTh?ngLongAvenue,thecompanysuggestedconstructingtemporarypumpingstationssuchas?ìaSáotolowerwaterlevelsinlocalchannelsand??ngTéptopumpwaterfromthe??ngTépandTrungTh??ngchannelsbefore,duringandafterheavyrains,toreducetheextentanddurationofflooding.Additionally,relevantagencieshadtoconstructdrainageinfrastructureasplanned,suchaspumpingstationsofLiênM?c,LiênTrung,YênThái,?àoNguyênandCaoViên,alongwith531haofwaterretentionlakesanddevelopingadrainagesystemalongtheavenuetochannelwatertothe?áyRiverthroughthe?àoNguyênpumpstation.—VNSAlocalrestaurantindowntownHCMCity.TravelLeisurehaslistedHàN?iandHCMCityastwoofAsiastoptencitiesforlowtravelcosts,particularlyforaccommodationandfood.—VNSPhotoB?XuanHi?pHCMCITY—HàN?iandHCMCity,twomajorcitiesinVi?tNam,havebeennamedamongAsiastoptencitieswiththelowesttravelcosts,accordingtoTravelLeisure.TheUS-basedtravelmagazinehaspublishedalistofthetencitiesinAsiawiththelowesttravelcostswithHCMCityinsouthernVi?tNamrankingsecondwithanaveragetripcostofUS$1,452.HàN?i,thecapitalcityinnorthernVi?tNam,ranksninth,withanaveragetripcostofaround$1,546.EthanCrowley,atripplannerfromthetravelfirmAsiaDesk,saidVi?tNamhasearnedacclaimasthemostcost-effectivedestinationinSoutheastAsia,highlightingtheaffordabilityoffoodandlodging.TheSoutheastAsiannationcouldbethelowest-costcountryfortravelersintheregion,henoted.DespiteinitialperceptionsofhightravelexpensestoAsia,flightsarecurrentlyninepercentcheaperthanlastyear,accordingtoKayak.CrowleynotedtheconvenienceofdirectflightsfromtheUSandthevalueofbothbusinessandeconomyclassoptionsinVi?tNam.ThelistofthetenmostaffordableAsiancitieswascompiledusingdatafromKayak,ametasearchenginefortravelservices,includingairlineflights,hotels,rentalcars,andvacationpackages.Therankingisbasedonaverageround-tripeconomyairfareandstandarddoubleroompricesfromJunetoDecember.TaipeihasbeennamedthemostaffordablecityinAsia.Japanisrepresentedbytwocitiesonthislist:TokyoandOsaka.OthercitiesincludedinthelistareJakarta,NewDelhi,Bangkok,Manila,andKualaLumpur.—VNS

AtrafficpoliceofficerchecksthealcoholconcentrationlevelofadriverinPhanThi?tCityinthesouthernprovinceofBìnhThu?n.VNA/VNSPhotoHàN?I–TheMinistryofPublicSecurityhasproposedasignificantreductioninfinesfordriverswithalcoholconcentrationlevelsthatdonotexceed50mgin100mlofbloodor0.25mginonelitreofbreath.Specifically,theministrysuggestedimposingfinesrangingfromVN?800,000toVN?1million(US$39.6)fordriverswithalcoholconcentrationlevelbeloworequalto50mgin100mlofbloodor0.25mgin1litreofbreath.Thecurrentregulations,underDecree100/2019/N?-CPwhichtookeffectonJanuary1,2020,stipulatedthefinerangingfromVN?6-8million($237-317).Theministrysaidthatreducingthefinesstipulatedinthedecreeforalcoholconcentrationlevelstobetteralignwiththenatureandseverityoftheviolation.Itiscurrentlyseekingfeedbackonthechanges.Forviolationswherealcohollevelsinthebloodorbreathexceed50milligramsto80milligramsper100millilitresofblood,or0.25milligramsto0.4milligramsperlitreofbreath,theministryproposedmaintainingthecurrentfineofVN?16-18million($634-713).Thefineforalcohollevelsexceeding80milligramsper100millilitresofbloodor0.4milligramsperlitreofbreathremainsatVN?30-40million($1,189-1,586).Theministryalsoproposedfinesfordrunkmotorbikeriders.FinesrangingfromVN?400,000toVN?600,000willbeappliedforriderswithalcohollevelsintheirbloodorbreathnotexceeding50mgin100mlofbloodor0.25mgin1litreofbreath.Currently,thefineforsuchviolationsrangesfromVN?2milliontoVN?3million.TheministryalsosuggestedfinesbetweenVN?800,000andVN?1millionforoperatorsofspecialisedmotorvehicleswithalcohollevelsintheirbloodorbreathnotexceeding50mgin100mlofbloodor0.25mgin1litreofbreath.TheexistingfineforthisoffenseisVN?3milliontoVN?5million.TheRoadTrafficSafetyLaw,recentlyapprovedbytheNationalAssemblyandeffectivefromJanuary1,2025,stipulatesacompletebanonalcoholconsumptionfordriversoperatinganyvehicleonpublicroads.Specifically,itprohibiteddrivingwithanylevelofalcoholinthebloodorbreath.TheMinistryofHealthhasbeenassignedtoregulatethehealthconditionsofdriversandoperatorsofspecialisedmotorvehiclesandtoestablishguidelinesfordeterminingbothbloodalcohollevelsandendogenousalcoholconcentrations.AccordingtotheMinistryofPublicSecurity,aftertrafficpoliceintensifiedcrackdownondriversviolatingalcohollimitsin2023,thenumberoftrafficaccidentsrelatedtoalcoholconsumptiondecreasedby25percent,thenumberofdeathsdecreasedby50percentandthenumberofinjuriesdecreasedby22percentcomparedtothesameperiodin2022.–VNSMajorandmilitarydoctorNguy?nBáL??ng(right)talkstopeoplecomingtothe‘BordermedicinecabinetinPhúcS?nCommuneforahealthcheck.—VNA/VNSPhotoXuanTi?nNGH?AN—The‘BordermedicinecabinetmodeloperatedbythePhúcS?nBorderGuardStationinthepastfiveyearshaspromotedeffectivenessofhealthcareandtreatmentsinfourbordervillages.ItisoneofeightbordermedicinecabinetssetupbytheNgh?AnProvinceBorderGuard.Inadditiontomaintainingsecurityandorder,theGuardStationhascoordinatedwithlocalauthoritiestoeffectivelyimplementeconomicandsocialdevelopmentprogrammes.Itcreateslivelihoodsandhelpslocalpeopleeradicatediseasesandhunger,therebygainingthetrustandloveoflocalofficialsandpeople.HealthcareMajorandmilitarydoctorNguy?nBáL??ng,51,isinchargeofthePhúcS?nBorderGuardStationsmedicalcabinet.Rainorshine,hediligentlyexaminespatients.ViTh?Thi?t,58,aTháiethnicwomaninCaoV?u2Village,PhúcS?nCommune,AnhS?nDistrict,saidthatsheregularlycametothe‘BorderMedicineCabinettohaveherbloodpressuremeasured,heartrateandjointscheckedandtoreceivefreemedicine.Previously,whenthemedicinecabinetwasnotthere,everytimeshewassick,shehadtoaskrelativestotakeherbymotorbiketothecommunehealthstation,whichismorethan20kmalongtheforestroad,alongthehillsandmountains.Itwasareallyhardjourney.Manyotherpatientssaidthatsincethe‘BorderMedicineCabinetwasestablished,medicalexaminationandtreatmenthasbecomemuchmoreconvenient.MilitarydoctorsfromthePhúcS?nBorderGuardStationareregularlypresenttopromptlyprovidehealthcaretopeoplewithaveryenthusiasticattitudeandthoughtfuladvice.Regardlessofnightorday,everytimepeopleneedtobeexamined,themilitarydoctorsarepresent,ortheywillcrossmountainsandforeststolocalpeopleshousestochecktheirhealth.TheCaoV?u1,2,3,4villagesinPhúcS?nCommunearelocatedupstreamofGiangandV?urivers,inthebufferzoneofthePùMátprimevalforest.Morethan40yearsago,theareawasfullofmountainsandforests,withonlyafewdozenTháiethnichouseholdssettling.Currently,thefourvillageshavenearly400households,withmorethan1,340people,ofwhichTháipeopleaccountformorethan84percent.In2002,theAnhS?nDistrictPeoplesCommitteebuilttheCaoV?uMedicalSubstation.Itarrangesthreemedicalworkerstogivefirstaidtothepeople.In2014,themedicalsubstationmovedneartheHighwayNo7.Sincethen,everytimepeoplegetsick,theyhavetotravelmorethan20kmtothecommunehealthstation.SeniorLieutenantColonelHoàngThanhTùng,PoliticianofthePhúcS?nBorderGuardStation,saidthatheunderstoodthepeoplesdifficultiesintakingcareoftheirhealth,especiallyfortheelderlyandchildren.TheunithadproposedtheNgh?AnBorderGuardCommandsetupamedicinecabinetanditwasapproved.FromFebruary2019,the‘BorderMedicineCabinetmodelwasestablished,locatedinCaoV?u2Villagewithonemilitarydoctortosupplyfreehealthcareandmedicinetothepeople.TheoperatingbudgetforthecabinetmainlycomesfromsupportoftheprovincialBorderGuardCommand,thePhúcS?nBorderGuardStation,theRedCrossSociety,theAnhS?nDistrictWomensUnionandotheragenciesandbenefactors.MajorL??ng,whomanagedthecabinet,saidthatinthepastfiveyears,theunithadexamined,treatedandgivenfreemedicinetoabout5,000people.Sometimesthesoldiershavetogothroughtheforesttoexamineandtreatpeopleathome,withthefurthesthousemorethan6kmfromtheunit.Peoplecomemainlyforhighbloodpressureproblems,cardiovascularissuesandboneandjointdiseases.Childrenhaveacuterespiratoryandintestinalinfections.Workaccidentsinproductionalsohappenalotandarepromptlytreatedbymilitarydoctors.Foremergencycases,theunitwilladvisethepatientfortimelyreferraltoanuppertierhospital.PovertyreductionLieutenantColonelTùngsaidthatthestationmanagedandprotectedmorethan26kmofborder,withsevenlandmarks,(numbers441to447).TheareaisadjacenttoXaychamphoneDistrict,BolikhamsaiProvinceofLaos.Witharuggedmountainousterrain,manystreams,frequentfloods,landslidesandtrafficdisruptionintherainyseason,itisadifficultterraintoguard,buttheunithasworkedprofessionallytoprotectbordersovereigntyandsecurity.Atthesametime,itmaintainsgoodexternalaffairstobuildaunitedborderarea,growingfriendship,withspecialsolidarityandcomprehensivecooperationbetweenVi?tNamandLaosandNgh?AnandBolikhamsaiProvince.Toeffectivelyconductsocio-economicdevelopmentprogrammesinthelocality,theunitcoordinateswiththedistrictFatherlandFrontandFarmersAssociationtocarryoutanumberofmodelssuchashelpingimpoverishedstudents,raisingpigsandchickensandgrowingplants.Manyhouseholdssupportedbytheguardstationhaveescapedpoverty.NganTh?Loan,wholivesinCaoV?u4Village,isacaseinpoint.Shewassupportedwithtwobreedingpigs,100chickensandtechnicalhelpandhasnowaccumulatedcapitaltoexpandalivestockfarm,growsonehectareofteaand1.000sq.mofcassava.—VNS