The seminar saw the attendance of Assoc Prof, Dr. Nguyen Truong Son, Deputy Minister of Health; Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Deputy Minister of National Defense, VAVA’s President; leaders and representatives of functional agencies, ministries and branches: Office of the Party Central Committee, Office of the Government; Party’s Central Commission for Foreign Affairs; The Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Science and Technology..., and some representatives of a number of international agencies operating in Vietnam,...
The seminar was conducted online through the portals of 63 provincial associations for AO/dioxin victims across the country; the portal of the associations under the Vietnam General Medical Association; many hospitals inside and outside the military.
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| Sr. Lt. Gen Nguyen Van Rinh delivered the opening speech at the seminar |
Opening the seminar, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh, VAVA’s President, stated the seminar was attended by many medical scientists and managers. Especially, scientists from Japan, the United States and France have sent their researches to the seminar and participated in the webinar on the bridge points. The seminar is aimed to further clarify the serious consequences of AO/dioxin; great efforts of Vietnam and the international community in overcoming consequences for the environment and ecology, and in treating diseases and illnesses for AO victims, thereby, proposing solutions to overcome and minimize the harmful effects of AO/dioxin on human health.
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| Deputy Minister of Health directs the conference |
Speaking at the seminar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Truong Son, Deputy Minister of Health, welcomed the effort of VAVA in coordinating with domestic and international agencies and organizations to hold this meaningful seminar. Son emphasized: The consequences of the chemical weapons used by the US military during the war were very heavy: 4.8 million people exposed in which 3 million became victims. The truth about the diseases and the pain of AO victims in Vietnam is clear; how to cure the diseases and improve the health of the victims is the responsibility of the whole society, including scientists. Therefore, the key task in this seminar is to discover and propose new measures, raise common voices on science at home and abroad on prevention and treatment for AO victims.
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| Maj. Gen., Prof, Doctor Hoang Van Luong read the report |
The report read by Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Luong, Deputy Director of the Military Medical Academy gave an overview of the situation of toxic chemical remain in Vietnam; results of overcoming the consequences of chemical poisoning in the \"hot spots\" of Da Nang, Bien Hoa, Phu Cat, etc., and the situation of diseases and illnesses related to exposure to AO/dioxins in Vietnam, and some results in treatment. The first part of the seminar discussed the results and directions of conducting dioxin decontamination in the environment to overcome the effects on human health. The second part focused on the actual situation of diseases and illnesses related to AO/dioxin exposure and solutions to improve the effectiveness of treatment and prevention.
Presentations of the scientists mentioned all issues related to the consequences of toxic chemicals used by the US military during the war in Vietnam, affirming the active participation of the health sector, especially the pioneering and leading role of the medical teams, doctors and physicians in the Vietnam People\'s Army who have studied and cured many diseases and illnesses related to AO/dioxin exposure. The presentation of the Chemical Command was about the “Overview of results and prospects of Agent Orange/dioxin decontamination in soil and sediments in Vietnam”. Prof. Doctor Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, VAVA’s Vice President from Ho Chi Minh City had a presentation on \"Basic investigation of the health situation of AO victims in some southern provinces\". Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Vuong from Military Medical Academy reported his \"Study on dioxin levels in blood and structure of liver tissue in people exposed to AO/dioxin in Da Nang\". Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Duc Phan presented his report on \"Research and application of screening, prenatal diagnosis, genetic counseling to prevent reproductive abnormalities in Thanh Khe (Da Nang) and Bien Hoa\",...
Researches of medical scientists from the United States, Europe, Japan, Korea and some other countries have clearly shown the scientific basis of the harmful effects and serious consequences of AO/dioxins on human health and ecological environment. American scientists addressing at the seminar included: Ms. Jean Grassman presented the project on \"Data collection: Towards a better understanding of dioxin pollution in Vietnam\"; Ms. Susan Schnall with “American Veterans Diseases Related to Exposure to ACP/dioxin in Vietnam”; and Ms. Susan Hammond - Executive Director of the War Legacies Project with “Survey report on population change in Laos in 2021”. The Japanese scientists’ research on \"Nutritional intervention with Dried Bonito Broth to improve hyperactive behavior in children associated with AO prenatal exposure in Vietnam - Initial Research\" was presented by Ms. Muneko Nishijo. Ms. My Anh Neilder-Nguyen at Saint-Antoine Research Center, Sorbonne University, Paris, France reported her research on: \"Biomarkers in tetrachlorodibenzo(p) dioxin (TCDD) exposure and therapeutic potentials for TCDD-related cancers”; Professor Mayumi Kuwwahara, Tohoku Fukushi University, Japan, presented \"Study on actual living conditions of AO victims and their families in Thanh Hoa province - gender, related issues and recommendations based on interview\"...
Prof. Dang Duy Huynh, Vice President of the Association for the Protection of Nature and Environment, gave a speech emphasizing the great significance of the seminar and raised some questions and recommendations: 1, Whether the areas of the Da Nang and Bien Hoa are no longer hot spots? Are people there really satisfied? 2, How to use thousands of medical herb plants available in the treatment of the victims? 3, The results of “diagnosis of birth defects” fetal ultrasound? 4, What is the role of culture in the spirit of the victims, how have we concerned about this issue?
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| Lt. Gen., Assoc Prof, Doctor Dang Nam Dien reads the appeal at the Conference |
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dang Nam Dien read the appeal from the seminar, calling that: The chemical war waged by the US military from 1961 to 1971 has left heavy and long lasting consequences for the living environment and people of Vietnam. The Party, State and people of Vietnam have actively overcome the consequences, making efforts to care for and help people infected with AO/dioxin have an improved and stable life. However, the task of remediating the consequences of AO is still very heavy. The volume of soil and sediment contaminated with dioxin in hot spots that need to be thoroughly treated is still very large; processing may take longer. Along with the diseases and illnesses that have been identified by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health as being associated with AO exposure, there is ample evidence that people exposed to AO in Vietnam may also suffer from a number of other diseases. The pathogenic mechanism of AO/dioxin has not been clarified yet, and there is no opportunity for in-depth research to have an appropriate treatment modality. Measures to prevent diseases and illnesses related to AO have been effective, but diseases and illnesses related to AO/dioxin exposure are still likely to spread to the third and fourth generations. With that in mind, the participants of the International Seminar on \"Diseases and illnesses associated with AO/dioxin exposure in Vietnam - Current situation and solutions to improve the effectiveness of prevention and treatment\" called on the governments of other countries, and international community to continue to pay attention, help and support the Vietnamese people to overcome the consequences caused by AO/dioxins on human health and the environment in Vietnam; further accelerate the decontamination of the environment in hot spots of dioxin residues; invest more in the research, treatment and prevention of diseases and illnesses related to AO/dioxin exposure, helping people infected with AO directly as well as indirectly improve their health and living conditions; step up the implementation of the national action program and international cooperation to overcome the consequences of toxic chemicals used in the war. Governments of relevant countries and the international community should strengthen cooperation and coordination with the people of Vietnam, pay attention to help victims both materially and spiritually; step up survey, investigation and the building of a digitized system of disease management of people infected and transferred with AO/dioxin to serve the treatment of diseases and illnesses for exposed people; support the fight for justice for the Vietnamese AO victims; at the same time, condemn and prevent the worldwide use of chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.
Closing the workshop, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh stated: The scientific reports in the seminar have analyzed and clarified the current situation of diseases and illnesses related to exposure to AO/dioxin; studied a number of other diseases with related evidence; studied biological factors and social factors related to disease of infected people; evaluated research and treatment results of diseases; thereby providing a number of models of treatment and prevention of diseases and illnesses related to AO/dioxin exposure. With these results, VAVA wishes that domestic and international medical scientists and Vietnam\'s health sector continue researching to find really effective solutions to treat and provide health care for AO victims, helping them stay alive and integrate into the community.
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