In Vietnam, villagers and authorities bent on halting the spread of avian influenza are now adept at stopping infected chickens from crossing the road. And they are gaining ground on the bigger challenge of keeping hens and ducks from crossing the country's borders to prevent outbreaks which threaten vast flocks of poultry and human health.
A long bout with high fever forever altered the course of energetic Trinh Thi Vuong's life at the tender age of two years. The eldest daughter of a poor family with five children from the ethnic minority Rac Lay group in Vietnam's southern province of Binh Thuan, Vuong's left leg became completely paralyzed. She spent her childhood with a wooden crutch, which she accepted as first. But as she grew up, the crutch gradually became a heavy burden for Vuong.
Bringing people and services under one roof is paying off for people living with HIV/AIDS in Ho Chi Minh City and other cities around Vietnam. In December 2011, USAID/Vietnam began working with the Ho Chi Minh City Provincial AIDS Committee and District 8 Preventive Medicine Center to integrate anti-retroviral treatment (ART), HIV testing and counseling (HTC), and methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) outpatient clinics.
When it comes to Vietnam becoming a more competitive destination for investment in the region and achieving its full economic potential, the answer from Truong Quang Hung is clear: "People talk about different issues, but to me, improving infrastructure is vital at this stage of our development."
Dang Tran Khanh runs his fingers along his motorcycle chain. “My father bought this plastic-coated chain to prevent abrasions,” he said. “It used to be for chaining me [so I could not leave home in search of drugs]. Now my dad and I use it to lock up the motorbike, to keep it from getting stolen at lunch.” Khanh is a former Hanoi drug user, who appears among the more than 100 photos in “Face-to-Face with Drugs”—Vietnam's first photo exhibition on the lives of drug users. The event was organized by USAID and its partners and launched with PEPFAR funding in June 2011 in Hanoi and November 2011 in Ho Chi Minh City.
Comment
Make a general inquiry or suggest an improvement.