History of the world health organization

COVID-19 testing (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Health has proposed considering COVID-19 a Group A infectious disease , not an endemic disease in its latest draft on COVID-19 prevention and control measures in the new situation. Per the draft, Vietnam is still in the transition period between pandemic prevention and sustainable management. Regarding the reason why COVID-19 has not been considered an endemic disease in Vietnam yet, the Ministry of Health said that most countries in the world are in a state of unstable cases and deaths, with an erratic increase and decrease trend when new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus appear. At the same time, acquired immunity (due to vaccines and infection) has not been stable for a long time and decreases over time. As a result, the application of epidemic prevention and control measures should be flexible and gradually moves towards the "new normal". The announcement of the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in … [Read more...] about Health Ministry yet to consider COVID-19 endemic disease

Administering the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to medical staff in the northern province of Ninh Bình. — VNA/VNS Photo Hải Yến HÀ NỘI — If Việt Nam declares the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, it will meet many difficulties in pandemic prevention and control and be hit by slower economic recovery, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has said. Under the latest draft plan on COVID-19 prevention and control in the new situation, which is waiting for input from the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 prevention and control, ministries, provinces, cities and experts, the MoH said that the pandemic situation has basically been controlled nationwide. However, the pandemic situation is still complicated in many countries and is even increasing again in some. The virus is constantly changing and recording new variants, which could potentially cause a strong outbreak on a large scale, beyond the health system’s capacity. Latent risks The SARS-CoV-2 virus has constantly … [Read more...] about Ministry of Health explains reasons for not announcing end of COVID-19 pandemic

Vietnam will keep a close eye on the emergence of new strains. Vietnam has detected imported BA.5 Omicron sub-variant after conducting gene sequencing of newly confirmed patients' samples, according to Dr. Phan Trong Lan, director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health (MoH). Lan underscored that initial research showed the Omicron sub-lineages BA.4 and BA.5 spread faster than the old sub-variants (BA.1 and BA.2). There has been no specific evidence of the new sub-variants’ virulence, but some studies indicated that there is an aggravation in the African region. However,  the director confirmed that Omicron sub-variant BA.2 still remains the dominant one in the country. “The emergence of new strains is inevitable as a result of border reopening and the new normal situation, in which precautionary protocols are relaxed,” Lan said. He added that the BA.5 sub-variant was first detected in South Africa in January. Since then, it has … [Read more...] about BA.5 Omicron sub-variant detected in Vietnam

The adaptation of circular economic models would help Vietnam realize its commitment to net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) today [June 28] held a conference to kickstart the formulation of a national action plan to promote a circular economy in Vietnam. Minister of MONRE Tran Hong Ha at the event. Photos: UNDP At the event, Minister of MONRE Tran Hong Ha said climate change, environmental pollution, and the degradation of the natural ecosystem are posing threats to the world. He referred to the sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-AR6) which stated that if global warming gradually increases 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level, some impacts may be lasting or irreversible, such as the loss of some ecosystems. The IPCC also estimated since 2008, around 20 million people annually have been forced to leave their homes behind due to extreme … [Read more...] about Vietnam to draft national action plan for circular economy adaptation

A historic agreement The European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) started negotiations for a region-to-region free trade agreement in 2007. After negotiations were suspended in 2009, the EU decided to pursue bilateral trade agreements with the individual ASEAN member states. Negotiations between the EU and Vietnam on a free trade agreement were launched in 2010. Following the completion of technical discussions, talks were finalized in December 2015. In February 2016, the full text of the EVFTA was published. However, the official signing of the trade deal was delayed due to the pending judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on jurisdiction for the conclusion of the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. To take the 2017 CJEU opinion into account, the original deal was split into the EVFTA and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) in June 2018. Both agreements were signed on June 30, 2019 in Hanoi. The European … [Read more...] about EU trade deal offers opportunities to increase exports

The exhibition features numerous fossils dating back thousands of years. — Photo courtesy of Huế City portal THỪA THIÊN-HUẾ — As part of Huế Festival 2022, an exhibition titled 'Fossils - A Journey to Discover the Origin of Life on Earth' opened its doors to visitors. Hà Nội Fossil Museum brought to Huế nearly 2,000 specimens dating from 10 thousand to 2.3 billion years ago. These specimens are of high scientific value and have helped recreate a paleontological land with traces of ancient life, according to the organisers. This exhibition aims to provide a gathering place for people who have a passion for science, especially in the field of palaeontology and fossils in Việt Nam. It also conveys the desire to explore and touch the remnants of time and life that have been hidden behind the seemingly lifeless layers of rock. In an interview with Nhân Dân (People) newspaper, Professor Tạ Hòa Phương, Chairman of the Việt Nam Association of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, said … [Read more...] about Fossil exhibition uncovers beginnings of life on Earth

Do Hung Viet, Assistant to the Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs, made the remarks while attending the annual debate on women’s rights at the HRC’s 50th regular session in Geneva on June 27. In his speech, Viet highlighted the important role of women, stressing the need to ensuring their rights and development opportunities through specific and effective support policies. He also shared Vietnam’s experience and efforts in this regard, noting Vietnam is one of the countries with the longest maternity leaves in the world. Emphasising the country’s priority for gender equality promotion and women empowerment, he added Vietnam is ready to cooperate with other countries in these common efforts. At the debate, participants underlined the necessity to build comprehensive and effective policies for ensuring gender equality and rights of women, who are in charge of a huge domestic workload but unpaid or underpaid, which has subsequently affected women’s full participation in … [Read more...] about Vietnam keeps prioritizing gender equality promotion: officials

The Vietnam Circular Economy Forum 2022 took place on June 28 with a focus on how to translate the commitment on net zero emissions into action. Addressing the hybrid event, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s message to the forum that calls for solidarity and joint actions to reduce carbon emissions towards net zero like the way humankind has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government leader also emphasised cooperation among the countries, as well as between them and international organisations so as to step up circular economy models, especially by sharing knowledge, boosting joint scientific researches, developing and transferring technology, Ha said. Environmental and climate issues always enjoy the top priority in the agenda of the Vietnamese Party, National Assembly, and Government, along with national development programmes and plans, with the ultimate goal of protecting people’s health, ensuring … [Read more...] about Forum seeks to translate net zero carbon pledge into action

A new species of damselfly, an insect closely related to the dragonfly, has been discovered by a researcher from Da Nang’s Duy Tan University studying biodiversity in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum. Damselflies and dragonflies are indicative of the water quality and general health of an ecosystem.  They also help protect crops from pests. Dr. Phan Quoc Toan first wrote publically about the newly discovered species in an article published in the international journal of Zootaxa in early February, where he announced it would be named Coeliccia lecongcoi in honor of the scientific contributions made by Le Cong Co, the first president of Duy Tan University in the central city of Da Nang. Two damselflies of the Coeliccia lecongcoi are seen in tandem in this photo taken from Phan Quoc Toan’s paper published in Zootaxa in February 2019 . Phan Quoc Toan shows Coeliccia lecongcoi, the latest damselfly that he found in Vietnam and was featured in a … [Read more...] about New damselfly found in central Vietnam

The kick-off conference on the national action plan for the circular economy and net-zero emissions - from commitment to action At the conference, national and international partners exchanged successful circular economy (CE) models from the region and globally, with the intention of identifying suitable models that can be applied in Vietnam. The forum provided an important opportunity for all parties to exchange ideas and prioritise mechanisms and policies to promote CE models. It hopes to strengthen cooperation and the mobilisation of resources, especially from the private sector, for the development and implementation of the CE model in Vietnam, which is critical to achieving the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Beyond the plenary session, the conference included thematic sessions focusing on the following issues: (i) Promoting cooperation in CE through the establishment of a network of partners and knowledge sharing; (ii) Financing and green technologies; (iii) … [Read more...] about Conference on national action plan for a circular economy net-zero emissions kicks off