Speeches Shim
Despite Vietnam’s progress in providing a spectrum of support to persons with disabilities (PWDs), a noticeable gap still remains in the availability of interdisciplinary rehabilitation services. To address this, USAID’s Hold My Hand project, implemented by the Institute of Population, Health and Development (a Vietnamese non-profit organization), aims to develop a sustainable and expandable model to improve rehabilitation services and home-based care for persons with severe disabilities in Binh Dinh and Quang Nam provinces. On August 12, the Hold My Hand project held a ceremony to handover speech and occupational therapy equipment valued at $59,800 to four provincial hospitals, six district health centers, and three private educational centers in Binh Dinh province.
Building on last year’s “Supplier Day 2019,” sponsored by USAID Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises (USAID LinkSME) project and the American Chamber of Commerce, JAT Auto parts and Industrial Equipment Production JSC (JAT JSC) developed key relationships that grew into a business linkage. Following the supplier day event, USAID LinkSME and Vietnam Association for Supporting Industries conducted a capabilities assessment of JAT JSC to ensure they met requirements for a linkage and then facilitated a business relationship between JAT JSC and Métosak Inc. (a Canadian manufacturer of high-quality, machine-welded components and assemblies).
In June and July 2020, the USAID Sustainable HIV and Tuberculosis Response from Technical Assistance (SHIFT) project team worked with Nghe An Provincial Lung Hospital and Vinh City Health Center staff to complete a community TB case finding campaign targeting household contacts of patients with active TB infection and high risk groups in Vinh City. Community health workers screened 1,558 individuals, of which 305 household contacts (older than five years) were given a tuberculin skin test to identify latent TB infection and 1,180 individuals were provided with chest x-rays. Eighty individuals with abnormal x-rays were further provided with Xpert rapid TB and drug resistance testing. This led to diagnosis of 8 active and 36 latent TB infections.
In Vietnam, key population (KP)-led organizations play an integral role in providing HIV prevention and treatment services, and help to ensure the continuity of care for HIV patients. In June and July 2020, USAID’s Healthy Markets project collaborated with the Centre for Social Initiatives Promotion to provide intensive business development support to TG-led Friendly Guys Group (FGG) to register as a social enterprise and guide their plan to develop into a sustainable business through fee-based HIV-related services like HIV testing and mental health counseling, as well as by selling cosmetic products targeted at men who have sex with men and TG customers. As a result, on July 30, FGG was granted a social enterprise business certificate and joined the growing list of KP-led social impact businesses in Vietnam. FGG is creating job opportunities as well as establishing a safe place for KP communities in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Melaleuca cajeputi or cajeput is a fast-growing, multipurpose tree; its timber is used for construction and firewood, and its leaves are used for medicinal purposes and to make cajeputi oil, an essential ingredient in the production of balm, shampoo, and insect repellent. This has made it an important source of income for people in the Thua Thien Hue (TTH) province and has resulted in native trees being overexploited and scarce. From May 31 to July 22, the USAID Green Annamites project partnered with Hoa Nen Essential Oil Production One Member Limited Company (Hoa Nen Company) to organize 25 study tours for students and teachers of secondary schools, high schools, and universities in TTH province, including Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry and Hue University of Economics. The groups visited Hung Long Thuong Hoa village in TTH, where they learned about the ecological value, features, medicinal properties, and production of the cajeput tree.
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