Dozens of children in Vietnam have been born to infertile parents under a program that pays for the costs of the expensive in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment for low-income couples who struggle to conceive naturally. The annual program, known as ‘Uom mam hanh phuc’ (Sowing Happiness), was launched in 2014 by Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, who spearheaded the introduction of IVF treatment in Vietnam in the late 1990s. Each year, organizers select from hundreds of applications and provide financial as well as medical support to some dozen couples who need help the most. Selected couples are sponsored for all steps of a standard IVF treatment, which is a process of fertilizing an egg with sperm outside of the body. This treatment involves monitoring and stimulating a woman's ovulatory process, removing ova from the woman's ovaries, letting sperm fertilize them in a laboratory, and implanting the resultant embryo in the female’s uterus. A couple plays with their child born through in vitro fertilization sponsored by a program that supports infertile couples in Vietnam. Photo: Huu Thuan / Tuoi Tre According to Dr. Dang Quang Vinh, deputy director of My Duc General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City that provides the treatment, selected couples will have all their medical costs covered, including those of storing unused embryos, which can be accessed for future IVF attempts. Under this program, each couple can save up to VND80-100 million (US$3,500 - 4,300) per attempt. As of the time of writing, 80 children have been born to parents who underwent IVF treatment sponsored by the program, while six mothers are expected to give birth through IVF treatment soon. This year, on its fifth annual call for candidates, the program has received 621 applications from infertile couples from across the country and selected 167 satisfying all criteria laid out by the organizers. “As our funds are limited, we have no choice but to give priority to …
Ivf in vitro fertilisation
Market edges higher, fertiliser stocks surge
Workers unload products at one of Lam Thao Fertilizers And Chemicals' warehouses. The company shares increased by 10 per cent on Wednesday. — Photo supelamthao.vn Viet Nam's stock market ended higher on Wednesday as the VN-Index bounced back in the afternoon session. The VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) reversed course to edge higher in Wednesday's trade after dropping 0.38 per cent in the morning session. The index rose slightly 0.03 per cent to 1,186.95 points. The market breadth turned positive at the end of the session with 270 stock rising, while 168 stocks decreased. And 64 stocks stayed unchanged. While a total of over 628.77 million shared were traded today on the southern market, worth VND15.15 trillion, an overload occurred again on HoSE in the afternoon session. In a daily report, Bao Viet Securities Co. said that the index might face corrections earlier in the sessions before recovering at the end of the session. And the market needs more time to accumulate to break over 1,200 points level in the near future. The market received support from the containment of COVID-19 outbreaks and the upward trends of global markets, the company added. However, strong selling pressure still weighed on the market, with many big stocks falling. The VN30-Index, tracking the 30 biggest stocks on HoSE, gained 0.07 per cent to finish at 1,195.6 points. The index lost 0.37 per cent in the morning session. Eleven of the 30 large-cap stocks in the VN30 basket rose, while 15 stocks dropped. Stocks from real estate and banking sectors still influenced the market's trend. Top five stocks contributing to the gain of the market were Investment And Industrial Development Corporation (BCM) up 5.35 per cent, Vietinbank (CTG) up 1.58 per cent, VPBank (VPB) up 2.09 per cent, No Va Land Investment Group Corporation (NVL) up 2.65 per cent and Vincom Retail JSC (VRE) up 2.31 per cent. Fertiliser stocks also recorded big gains today with DAP - VINACHEM …
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VIETNAM NEWS FEBRUARY 8
HCM City to relocate water supply sources amid worsening water pollution HCM City authorities plan to gradually relocate its water supply sources further upstream of the Sài Gòn and Đồng Nai rivers as part of its effort to ensure clean water for local use. Experts have warned that the current main source of water has become seriously polluted due to the impact of socio-economic development along the Sài Gòn – Đồng Nai river system. The city currently draws some 94 per cent of the water for treatment at a spot downstream of where the Sài Gòn River meets the Đồng Nai River, at the Hòa Phú pumping station in its Củ Chi District, and at Hóa An in Đồng Nai Province. Under the city’s 2020-30 water supply plan, the city will relocate the Hòa Phú pumping station to a new location, about 20 km from the existing pumping station and 15 km upstream from the junction of Thị Tính and Sài Gòn rivers. According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, water in downstream Sài Gòn River is suffering from severe microbiological pollution and slight oil contamination. Pollution indicators like ammonia, microorganisms and manganese have all increased, exceeding the permitted standards of Việt Nam and the World Health Organization. Dr. Hồ Long Phi, director of the Centre for Water Management and Climate Change under the National University of HCM City, said that pollution in the Saigon River remains ‘serious’. He said it was vital to develop hi-tech water treatment plants if the city continues to draw this water for local use. “The water upstream in the Sài Gòn and Đồng Nai rivers is in the safe zone, which is less impacted by climate change and sea level rise in the next 50-100 …
