Prevention

Nguyen Huy Quang, head of the ministry’s Department of Legal Affairs, said 44.2% of men and 1.2% of women in Vietnam use alcohol and beer at a hazardous level.  Under the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 adopted by leaders of 154 member nations, including Vietnam, at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, Vietnam set the goal of reducing the number of alcohol users at hazardous levels by 10% by 2030.  Quang called for creating a strong legal corridor to achieve the goal, saying that the issuance of the law on preventing and combating the harmful effects of alcohol and beer is necessary to deliver Vietnam’s commitments towards sustainable development.  Three months since the draft law was up for public feedback, 10 letters of suggestion by six domestic and foreign organisations have been sent to leaders of the Vietnamese legislature and Government.  They called on the Government to enforce policies on preventing and … [Read more...] about Seminar discusses prevention of alcohol abuse

Debate over the promising future of mergers and acquisitions in Vietnam following the country’s plethora of free trade agreements overshadowed the Vietnam M&A Forum 2016, organized by VIR and AVM last week in Ho Chi Minh City. Dr Christopher Kummer, president of the Institute of Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliance in Switzerland, said Vietnam has climbed the ranks as an active mergers and acquisitions (M&A) location worldwide since 2014. The Vietnamese M&A market recorded US$5.2 billion worth of deals in 2015 and US$3 billion in the first half of 2016, rising 28% year-on-year. The majority of foreign investors participated in deals worth US$30 million and above, especially in mega-deals of over US$1 billion. “I believe international interest in the Vietnamese M&A market will continue for a considerable time, as Vietnam is poised for stable economic development while many other countries are still experiencing slower growth,” said Dr Kummer. Similarly, … [Read more...] about Firms eager to buy into Vietnam’s M&A market

Customers hold glasses of beer at a restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam, June 24, 2017. Photo by Reuters The ministry is seeking public opinions for its proposal to impose a ban on beer advertisement, an extension from a current ban on wine advertisement, Tran Thi Trang, deputy head of the ministry’s legal department, said at a meeting on May 25. Under the proposal, beer and alcoholic beverage companies would be banned from any form of promotions of products with more than 15% alcohol. Products with lower alcohol volume would be banned from advertisements in public places, televisions and movies, those which are exposed to children audiences. "Vietnam has been considered an interesting beer market. But we currently do not have strict regulations to restrict the consumption among children and teenagers, who now have all-time access to beer advertisements," Trang said. The ministry also recommended that all beer and wine products not be advertised on social networks, and that … [Read more...] about Vietnam proposes beer advertisement ban to curb drinking

  Peter Chang, president of the Asian Health Literacy Association, speaks about global health literacy plans and governmental action at a conference on Monday in HCM City. — VNS Photo Gia Lộc HCM CITY — Health literacy can contribute to reducing disparities among different groups of people in accessing universal healthcare services, Professor Dianne Levin-Zamir from Israel's University of Haifa said on Monday (November 11) at an international conference held in HCM City. In many countries, communication with patients and the public is increasingly becoming digital. “This trend has great advantages, among them bringing health information and navigation directly into homes, allowing for personal data to be stored and then accessed for the benefit of the patient as well as increased efficiency. And it creates big data for analysis and technology development and more,” she said. According … [Read more...] about Digital literacy helps to reduce disparities in universal healthcare

Communities living near Noi Bai International Airport are being warned to stop burning straw as smoke is causing problems for pilots. Burning straw in the vicinity of Noi Bai International Airport after harvest season is causing problems for pilots. — Photo dantri.com.vn The Northern Airports Authority has sent a written request to the People's Committee of Ha Noi's Soc Son District and its communes to take measures to prevent local residents from burning straw in the vicinity of the airport. Straw is being burned during the harvest season, which is affecting the vision of pilots. On Monday and Tuesday, airport staff discovered smoke from burning straw in fields in Thanh Xuan and Quang Tiến communes, near the security gates of the airport. Airport forces and the local residents quickly extinguished the fires. The airports authority also asked the communes to increase patrols and prosecute anyone violating the law. VNS … [Read more...] about Haze from burning straw affects Noi Bai Airport