Speeches Shim
USAID’s Advancing Medical Care and Rehabilitation Education project, implemented by Handicap International, is supporting the development and strengthening of Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) education and services in Vietnam. To date, the project has provided Speech Therapy Units in six hospitals in Hanoi, Hue, Dong Nai, and Ho Chi Minh City with treatment and computer equipment, as well as in-service training for more than 70 therapists. In order to improve the quality of services even further, the project is piloting the use of digital tablets to provide SALT services to persons with brain lesions. These specialized technology applications can help patients with brain lesions, who have difficulties in speech and language, by supplementing or replacing speech or writing, thereby helping them overcome speech and language barriers and improving overall quality of life.
On September 20, Mei Mei Peng, USAID/Vietnam Office of Health Deputy Director joined health authorities and community partners from Dien Bien province to recognize the significant progress the province has made in controlling the HIV epidemic and formally transition activities to local ownership. The USAID Sustainable HIV Response from Technical Assistance activity has been helping Dien Bien to advance HIV epidemic control since 2015 by implementing effective HIV strategies; monitoring; and strengthening the health services and systems to improve HIV services. As a result, there has been a 24 percent increase in the HIV cases identified; a 31 percent increase in the number of individuals on antiretroviral (ART) treatment; and more than 95 percent of people on ART treatment have achieved viral suppression, which limits onward HIV transmission as well as reduces morbidity and mortality.
Launched in 2017, Fulbright University Vietnam (FUV) is a turning point in Vietnam’s drive to reform its higher education system – it is the country’s first fully independent non-profit university. FUV aims to bring world-class university standards to Vietnam and help unlock tremendous potential in Vietnam’s education sector. Earlier this month, FUV welcomed its first cohort of undergraduate students at a convocation ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City. In his keynote address, Politburo Member and Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Nguyen Thien Nhan hailed FUV’s blend of international education concepts, and respect for Vietnam’s culture and traditions. In front of an audience of 250, all 54 incoming students committed to an Honor Code – a concept new to Vietnam’s universities. FUV is continuing student recruitment, campus development, and fundraising efforts to ensure that it becomes a major player in the Vietnamese education landscape and will bring systemic change to Vietnam’s education system.
On September 6-14, Special Representative to the USAID Administrator for Trade, Ana Guevara visited Vietnam to understand the progress of the country’s trade facilitation efforts, that have received major support from USAID and other partners, and advocate for USAID’s upcoming activities to support these efforts.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender (TG) communities are disproportionately affected by HIV and the stigma associated with it in Vietnam. In order to address this problem, USAID developed Reach 4.0 - a strategy that combines an effective use of online platforms and communities as well as offline events to target high-risk groups and hidden key populations with the goal of increasing HIV case finding. On September 11, USAID’s Sustainable HIV Response from Technical Assistance (SHIFT) project partnered with Blue Sky Club, a civil society group, and the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) Provincial AIDS Center to host a Reach 4.0 event, which was attended by Deputy Chief of Mission Caryn R. McClelland.
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