Red Cross lifts ties in Laos, Cambodia

HCM CITY — The Viet Nam Red Cross will help its Lao and Cambodian counterparts train their staff, increase medical services and conduct free eye surgery for people in their border provinces.

Tran Ngoc Tang, President of the Viet Nam Red Cross, made the commitment at a Viet Nam-Laos-Cambodia Red Cross Leaders' Meeting in HCM City last Saturday.

Tang said co-operation between the three countries' associations had contributed to improving the living conditions of people in border provinces.

During the past four years of work in the field, the Viet Nam Red Cross has helped provide health care and services worth more than VND8 billion (US$410,000), he said.

The meeting reviewed the implementation of co-operation agreements between the three Red Cross organisations during the 2006-10 period. Participants also discussed co-operation programmes for the next five years.

The three associations would encourage all border provinces to better share information on natural disasters and diseases while increasing discussions on preventive measures, mutual assistance and improvement of health care during emergency situations, Tang said.

He noted that the three groups would also share information on their activities, international Red Cross movements and humanitarian co-operation programmes. — VNS

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Vietnam Red Cross to increase ties with Laos, Cambodia

The Vietnam Red Cross will help its Lao and Cambodian counterparts train their staff, increase medical services and conduct charitable eye surgery for people along border provinces of Laos and Cambodia .

Tran Ngoc Tang, President of the Vietnam Red Cross made the commitment at a Red Cross Leaders’ Meeting of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia held in Ho Chi Minh on Nov. 13.

According to Tang, cooperation between the three countries’ associations has contributed to improving living conditions of people in border provinces.

Over the past four years of signing cooperation in the field, the Vietnam Red Cross has helped the two others in health care and charitable activities worth over 8 billion VND, he said.

The meeting reviewed the implementation of cooperation agreements of the three countries’ red cross organisations in the 2006-2010 period and discussed cooperation programmes for the next five years.

The three associations will encourage all border provinces to cooperate in red cross movements in order to share information on natural disasters, diseases and discuss preventive measures, mutual assistance and improvement of health care in emergency cases, Tang said.

He noted that the three will also share information on their activities, international red cross movements, humanitarian cooperation programmes./.

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ASEAN meeting discusses role of traditional medicine

HA NOI — Officials are discussing ways to integrate herbal treatments into national health care at the second ASEAN Traditional Medicine Conference, which opened yesterday in Ha Noi.

The event is organised by the Vietnamese Health Ministry.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said the Government was determined to promote traditional medicine, which he said was the right direction for health care in ASEAN to move.

"Over 60 years, Viet Nam has been patiently implementing this move, gradually integrating traditional medicine into the health system to protect the nation's inhabitants," Nhan said.

"Developing and applying traditional medicine and herbal cures into health care and protection will be the main focus of ASEAN countries."

Surin Pitsuwan, the ASEAN secretary general, also called for a concerted action by governments, interested parties and health professionals to promote traditional medicine.

In some Asian and African countries, 80 per cent of the population depend on traditional medicine for primary health care. The provision of safe and effective traditional medicine could be a critical tool for increasing overall access to health care, Pitsuwan said.

During the three-day event, delegations will review the results of the first health care conference in Bangkok in 2009. They will also discuss international health issues, such as human resources development in traditional medicine, modernising health care, production and application of herbal medicines.

Since 2007, the Nippon Foundation and the World Health Organisation have been jointly organising a congress on traditional medicine.

In Mongolia, health care medical kits are given to nomadic herders. Visits to medical practitioners fell by 45 per cent as a result of the first aid boxes. Currently, 15,000 Mongolian households use the kits.

The fact demonstrated that the use of traditional medicines could help resolve the problems of cost and access to medical care, delegates heard.

The Ha Noi Joint Declaration will be adopted by delegations at the end of the conference tomorrow.

According to the Health Ministry, Viet Nam has 61 traditional medicine hospitals, while 90 per cent of all modern hospitals have a herbal health care department or unit. Meanwhile, more than 70 per cent of all commune health stations offer traditional medicine. About 30 per cent of all patients examined annually are treated with traditional remedies or a combination of traditional and mainstream health care. — VNS

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