November 15, 2024 | 05:11 GMT +7

  • Click to copy
Friday- 18:21, 07/06/2024

U.S. to support in addressing climate-related health challenges

(VAN) The United States, Can Tho, and An Giang launched a project on June 7 to enhance local capacity in addressing public health threats related to climate change.
Aler Grubbs, USAID's Mission Director for Vietnam, presenting at the launching ceremony. Photo: USAID Vietnam.

Aler Grubbs, USAID's Mission Director for Vietnam, presenting at the launching ceremony. Photo: USAID Vietnam.

The United States Mission to Vietnam, with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launched an project in Can Tho city and An Giang province on June 7. This project aims to enhance the local capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to emerging infectious diseases related to climate change.

The event saw the participation of Nguyen Thuc Hien, Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee; Aler Grubbs, USAID's Mission Director for Vietnam; Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam; and representatives from various departments and agencies in Can Tho city and An Giang province.

"USAID and Vietnam will utilize nearly twenty years of collaboration under the One Health project, with a new focus on climate change," emphasized Mission Director Aler Grubbs.

"On this day, we are pleased to announce the first One Health project funded by USAID, focusing on the nexus of public health and climate change, to be implemented in Can Tho city and An Giang province. Together, we will protect public health and support a resilient, independent, and prosperous Vietnam," added Mission Director Aler Grubbs.

Vietnam is highly vulnerable to the emergence and re-emergence of zoonotic diseases. This risk is further compounded by Vietnam's susceptibility to the impacts of climate change, including altered rainfall patterns, saltwater intrusion, and frequent and intense weather events and natural disasters. These factors lead to increased interactions between wildlife, livestock, and humans; thereby increasing the risk of disease transmission.

Flooding and an increase in storms also pose risks to local healthcare infrastructure, and affect people's access to healthcare services; which restrict the healthcare workers' ability to prevent, detect, and control diseases.

The recently announced project is scheduled for implementation in Can Tho and An Giang, two regions vulnerable to climate change in the Mekong Delta region.

Following consultations with local stakeholders, including businesses and women's unions, the project will pilot provincial-level models to enhance One Health climate change resilience in human, animal, and environmental health.

Planned activities under the project include upgrading initial healthcare facilities to support continuous healthcare services during extreme weather events; strengthening telemedicine services; and equipping provincial and local healthcare systems to enhance responsiveness to public health threats related to climate change.

"Increasing levels of droughts, saltwater intrusion, and storm in the Mekong Delta region can lead to increased risks of dengue fever, infectious diseases and the transmission of zoonoses.

The project will support local governments, communities, and other partners in Can Tho city and An Giang province to detect, prevent, and respond to public health threats related to climate change. Furthermore, the project aims to raise awareness regarding the close interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health," emphasized Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam, during the event.

The United States remains a committed partner of Vietnam in addressing both long-standing and emerging infectious disease threats, with a focus on the shared priorities between the two nations and within the framework of their Comprehensive Partnership.

The Vietnam One Health 2023 High Level Forum for Zoonoses for the years between 2021 and 2025 was held on the morning of November 7, 2023 in Hanoi. The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the United States Agency for International Development.

The forum aimed to review the implementation results of the One Health Initative across the fields of health, agriculture, and environment, as well as the coordination of zoonoses activities in 2023. It highlighted the limitations and proposed solutions to enhance multi-sectoral cooperation in achieving the objectives and tasks under the National One Health Multisectoral Plan.

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien, mobilizing multi-sectoral coordination and multilateral cooperation during a pandemic is the key to disease prevention and control. Consequently, One Health is the optimal approach to ensure planetary safety and public health.

In the era of extensive globalization, increased trade activities, coupled with climate change and rapid urbanization, has increased interactions between humans, animals, and ecosystems. This can alter existing disease vectors and introduce new pathogens, thereby posing substantial risks to human health. Societal collaboration and support, as well as international community cooperation, are crucial to effectively address these challenges.

With these challenges in mind, the One Health approach continues to assert itself as the optimal method for tackling issues related to public health.

Author: Tung Dinh

Translated by Nguyen Hai Long

Gia Lai develops sustainable coffee against deforestation

Gia Lai develops sustainable coffee against deforestation

(VAN) The Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Gia Lai province recommends that farmers maintain a stable coffee area and avoid production following trends.

Can Tho city aims to have 48.000ha dedicated to high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation

Can Tho city aims to have 48.000ha dedicated to high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation

(VAN) Can Tho City aims to establish a high-quality, low-emission rice production area with an area of 38.000ha by the end of 2025, and to expand it to 48.000ha by 2030.

Expanding geographical indication protection for Ngoc Linh ginseng

Expanding geographical indication protection for Ngoc Linh ginseng

(VAN) Multiple communes in Kon Tum Province with ideal cultivation conditions are expanding their geographical indication protection for Ngoc Linh ginseng.

Ecotourism project within Tam Dao National Park

Ecotourism project within Tam Dao National Park

(VAN) The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is consulting on the environmental impact assessment report to lease 68 hectares of Tam Dao National Park for ecotourism.

NitroVolt is helping farmers make their own fertilizer using renewable power

NitroVolt is helping farmers make their own fertilizer using renewable power

(VAN) Once installed, NitroVolt’s device will produce ammonia that Koppert Cress will use to grow its crops (a range of different cress varieties), and it’ll use heat generated by the device to warm its greenhouses.

Digital transformation in agricultural extension in need of coordination

Digital transformation in agricultural extension in need of coordination

(VAN) Despite the rapid pace of digital transformation in agricultural extension, stakeholders must address several challenges to formulate suitable development strategies.

1,000 households get livestock training through Chan Henh project

1,000 households get livestock training through Chan Henh project

(VAN) In Mai Son district, over three years, more than 1,000 households have received livestock training and support for linking to product consumption markets.

Read more