Speeches Shim
Worldwide, approximately 19 percent of transgender women (TGW) are living with HIV, and compared to the general population, TGW are 49 times more likely to be infected with HIV. A 2015 study conducted in Ho Chi Minh City found that 18 percent of participating TGW had HIV and the same percentage were syphilis-antibody reactive. To address this, on Aug 20-24, USAID’s Healthy Markets project partnered with the Thai Red Cross Tangerine Community Health Centre to train private clinics and provincial AIDS committees in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to deliver quality health and HIV services for TGW, including hormone, sexual health and well-being services.
August 14 marked an important milestone for USAID. USAID and its implementing partner, Action for Community Development Center, received an award from the Thuy Thien-Hue provincial government for improving the enforcement of disability law and policies and advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. As a result of the project, six of Vietnam’s airports (soon to be seven) have installed disability accessibility features (including ramps), and disabled persons’ organizations have improved capacity to monitor the compliance of physical access.
Vietnam’s Payment for Forest Environmental Services (PFES) system, designed with support from USAID, is the country’s most important financial mechanism to mobilize resources for forest conservation. It engages individuals and communities to sustainably manage and protect their forests by providing compensation for their efforts. PFES seeks to maintain and enhance the forest systems’ environmental services, such as maintaining clean water for domestic uses, hydro-electric power generation, and industrial water consumption.
In August, USAID’s Governance for Inclusive Growth Program supported Vietnam’s Supreme People’s Court (SPC) to conduct two seminars on the business environment and commercial mediation for judges from across the country. During these seminars, Mr. John Cratsley - a former Massachusetts judge, Harvard Law School lecturer, and mediator/arbitrator at one of the biggest arbitration organizations in the U.S. - shared his experiences on commercial mediation rules and practice.
A “One Health” approach is critical to effectively addressing emerging and transnational public health threats in Vietnam. “One Health” provides a coordinated approach to counter emerging infectious disease threats at the interface of animal, human, and ecosystem health, where most new diseases emerge. On August 14-15, USAID’s Preparedness and Response project and the Vietnam One Health Partnership, consisting of domestic and international partners, organized a One Health Assessment workshop in Ninh Binh Province to assess the performance of the One Health collaboration in Vietnam.
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