Check out the news you should not miss today in Vietnam:

Society

— A 15-month-old baby succumbed to brain injury after receiving oresol in concentrated solution to treat diarrhea, doctors at Vinh Phuc Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in northern Vietnam said on Wednesday.

— Police in Hanoi are investigating a case where a chemical soldier of the Vietnam People’s Army died at his military base earlier this week.

— Two people died at the scene as a truck driver hit a motorbike and ran away in Ca Mau Province, southern Vietnam on Wednesday afternoon.

— Two people were killed and two more were hospitalized after their automobile collided with a truck in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam on Wednesday.

— Dozens of passengers were injured when a bus tipped over after slamming into a truck in Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province, south-central Vietnam on Wednesday night.

Lifestyle

— In honor of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan, 500,000 colorful LED lights were installed to create a dazzling light garden at the Bach Dang Wharf Park in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday.

World News

— “The geology of Brazil’s volcanic Trindade Island has fascinated scientists for years, but the discovery of rocks made from plastic debris in this remote turtle refuge is sparking alarm,” Reuters reported on Wednesday.

— “The Biden administration has demanded that TikTok’s Chinese owners divest their stakes in the popular video app or face a possible U.S. ban,” the company told Reuters on Wednesday.

— “An atmospheric river dumped more torrential rain on California on Wednesday, forcing evacuations, power outages and road closures, while the remnants of a powerful Nor’easter blizzard buried much of upstate New York and New England under snow,” according to Reuters.

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A special education center in Bac Ninh Province, northern Vietnam has been temporarily shut down following the circulation of a video on social media showing two staffers at the center physically restraining a boy and pinching his nose to force him to eat.

The video, which has gone viral on social media since Monday afternoon, has sparked public concerns.

The video shows a person holding the boy’s hands and pinching his nose, while the remainder sat on his legs to spoon-feed him, ignoring the boy crying.

The case occurred at Tam An Special Education Center in Dinh Bang Ward, Tu Son City, Bac Ninh Province.

Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dinh Bang Ward led an inspection team to the center to clarify the case but the owner of the center was absent. 

At the center, Nguyen Thi N., who sat on the legs of the boy, named V.H.D., declared that the case happened in November last year.

N. added that G., the manager of the special education center, assigned her and C., a former staffer at the center, to take care of D. and feed him.

Through a phone call, the inspection team asked Duong Thi S., the center owner, to work with it on Tuesday morning. Vi Van B., the father of D., also attended the meeting.

Vi Van B. affirmed that the boy in the video is his son, V.H.D., born in 2019. The boy, who is autistic and suffers from speech delay and loss of appetite, has been taken to Tam An Special Education Center since June last year.

B. added that D. has not been frightened when being picked up from the center. After studying at the center, he has shown positive improvement, especially showing affection to his parents. 

B. was angry that his son’s image was uploaded to social media but he did not require holding Nguyen Thi N. responsible for her act. 

At the meeting, the People’s Committee of Dinh Bang Ward requested S. to suspend the education of special children at two campuses of her center in Dinh Bang Ward, send a report on the case to the ward and relevant agencies prior to 4:00 pm on Tuesday, and coordinate with the relevant agencies to deal with the incident.

The People’s Committee of Dinh Bang Ward also suggested the Tu Son City People’s Committee impose heavy sanctions on those involved in the case in line with the law.

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On the heels of the new partnership announcement between AstraZeneca Vietnam and the Ministry of Health, Tien Phong (Youth) newspaper has spoken to Leon Wang, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca International, and Nitin Kapoor, Chairman and General Director of AstraZeneca Vietnam, about the company’s ambitious plans for expansion and sustainable development collaborations in Vietnam.

Could you tell us about the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between AstraZeneca and the Ministry of Health on March 8th? What are the key highlights in this MoU?

Leon Wang: 

AstraZeneca Vietnam and the Ministry of Health signed a MoU to partner on holistically enhancing healthcare for the benefit of Vietnamese people. 

In the next five years from 2023 to 2028, we will boost cooperation in disease prevention and control, pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing, and sustainable health system development. 

Our team here and across the world remain committed to building a sustainable future with Vietnam, and the MoU today is a historic milestone on this meaningful journey.

Nitin Kapoor:

Following the guidance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at his meeting with AstraZeneca CEO, Sir Pascal Soriot, last May, we are launching this holistic partnership to start a new chapter in nearly three decades of collaboration between the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and AstraZeneca. We appreciate the continued support of the Ministry and look forward to joining hands to improve patients’ lives and help Vietnam’s health sector become more equally, effectively, and globally integrated.

As AstraZeneca approaches its 30th anniversary of operating in Vietnam, the company has announced its intentions to transfer advanced technology for medicine manufacturing to the country. Could you please provide more details on how this will be implemented?

Nitin Kapoor: 

From now until 2030, AstraZeneca is investing up to two trillion VND (US$90 million) to develop Vietnam’s domestic manufacturing capabilities and expand patients’ access to high-quality, locally made medicines. 

This investment will enable production of three AstraZeneca medicines, making Vietnam the first Southeast Asian country where we will manufacture key medicines for the treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). 

Since the announcement in late 2021 in Glasgow, UK, witnessed by the Prime Minister, we have appointed a local contract manufacturing partner and are actively working with them to transfer the necessary technology and knowledge to ensure producing high-quality products in line with our global standards. We hope to be able to supply made-in-Vietnam medicines for Vietnamese patients within a few years.

Leon Wang:

Vietnam is one of our key markets, not only at the regional level but also at the global level. The investment for technology transfer and local contract manufacturing complements our ongoing 5 trillion VND ($220 million) investment into Vietnam for the 2020 – 2024 period, which was announced during the Vietnam delegation’s high-level visit to AstraZeneca’s manufacturing site in Sweden in 2019.

Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, we operate in over 100 countries and have 28 manufacturing sites in 16 countries. Our innovative medicines are used by millions of patients around the world whilst our COVID-19 vaccine was estimated to have saved over six million lives in the first year of roll-out, including over 232,000 lives in Vietnam. We hope that when this technology transfer project in Vietnam is complete, more and more patients can easily access vital medicines to meet their medical needs.

In previous discussions with the media, AstraZeneca has highlighted its commitment towards caring for patients suffering from chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Could you please provide more information on the specific diseases that AstraZeneca is focusing on, and what steps the company plans to take to improve treatment quality?

Leon Wang: 

Although infectious diseases such as COVID-19 understandably consumed a lot of our attention, NCDs are actually the leading causes of death and account for over 70 percent of the disease burden in Vietnam. 

Therefore, for many decades, we have pushed the boundaries of science to deliver innovative medicines to treat and improve the lives of patients who struggle with diseases such as cancers, heart, kidney and metabolic diseases, as well as respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases. In the last two years, we have also expanded our portfolio to also include preventions and treatments for rare diseases and infectious diseases. 

Nitin Kapoor:

Since 1994, we have run various collaborations with the Ministry of Health, hospitals, medical societies and other healthcare partners to fight NCDs, which are sometimes called “silent killers.” Following this MoU, AstraZeneca will advance the implementation of our ongoing and new programmes to promote disease awareness, prevention, and early detection. 

Amongst them are the Healthy Lung Program to improve the diagnosis and management of asthma, COPD, and lung cancer; Young Health Program to help youths build a healthy lifestyle and prevent non-communicable diseases; and CAREME programme to transform the cardiovascular-renal-metabolic care ecosystem.

In the scope of the MoU, you also mentioned partnering with the Ministry of Health to sustainably develop the health system. Could you please explain what that will entail?

Nitin Kapoor: 

As we have witnessed, the COVID-19 pandemic as well as climate change has highlighted the importance of protecting and building resilient and sustainable health systems. It is a common goal that requires the cooperation of public-private, intersectoral and multinational partners. 

AstraZeneca is cooperating with the World Economic Forum, London School of Economics, and the Health Strategy and Policy Institute, the Vietnam Ministry of Health, in the Partnership for Health System Sustainability and Resilience (PHSSR), to holistically reinforce the Vietnamese health system and prepare it for future challenges. We have entered phase II of this meaningful program since last year and hope to share concrete results in the coming years. 

In addition, AstraZeneca has collaborated with the Ministry of Health and the British government to donate solar power systems to district health facilities, contributing to protecting the environment and providing a stable source of electricity through green energy. We will continue strengthening cooperation in this area to help Vietnam reduce the impact of climate change and preserve the planet for our future generations.

Leon Wang:

At AstraZeneca, we believe that we have a responsibility to innovate and accelerate the delivery of sustainable healthcare in order to ensure a brighter future. We were one of the first seven companies to have climate strategy verified to the new science-based Net Zero Corporate Standard. Through our flagship Ambition Zero Carbon program, we are on track to deliver deep decarbonization across the value chain. 

Climate change is increasing levels of ill health, including a rise in chronic conditions. The healthcare sector is also a significant contributor to climate change, responsible for approximately 4 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We hope to see more companies and organizations joining hands to address this urgent matter and remain committed to supporting Vietnam to build a sustainable health system and future.