International conference on remedying the consequences of Agent Orange/Dioxin

On 14^th December 2018, in Hanoi, the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee on the Settlement of Post-war Unexploded Ordnance and Toxic Chemical Consequences in Vietnam (the Steering Committee 701) coordinated with the Military Medical Academy of the Ministry of National Defence to convene an international conference on remedying the consequences of Agent Orange on people and the environment.

The Vietnam – Russia Tropical Centre, the Military Scientific and Technological Institute, the Chemical Corps co-chaired the conference which was held by the Military Medical Academy and the Steering Committee 701. The conference saw the attendance of Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defence, Head of the Standing Office of the Steering Committee 701; Professor, Doctor. Nguyen Viet Tien, Deputy Minister of Health; Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh, former Deputy Minister of National Defence, President of Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange; representatives of the U.S Agency for International Development and hundreds of domestic and international scientists. The organizers of the conference received 22 presentations from domestic and foreign scientists.

The conference focused on two main topics: (1) “Consequences of Agent Orange/Dioxin on the environment and ecosystem”; (2) “Consequences of Agent Orange/Dioxin on people’s health”. Scientists at the conferences have shown proofs and evidences of the bad effects of Dioxin on people’s health and ecosystem; recent efforts made by Vietnam in alleviating the consequences of Agent Orange/Dioxin used by the U.S in Vietnam War.

It is hoped that, through the conference and its scientific conclusions, the issues relating to the policies for war veterans exposed to Agent Orange, and measures for providing healthcare service for the victims of Agent Orange and decontaminating the environment in the contaminated areas will be considered and settled by authorized levels.