A new generation of trade policy: potential risks to diet-related health from the trans pacific partnership agreement.
Sharon Friel, Deborah Gleeson, Anne-Marie Thow, Ronald Labonte, David Stuckler, Adrian Kay and Wendy Snowdon. Globalization and Health 2013, 9:46.
Abstract (provisional): Trade poses risks and opportunities to public health nutrition. This paper discusses the potential food-related public health risks of a radical new kind of trade agreement: the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP). Under negotiation since 2010, the TPP involves Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the USA, and Vietnam. Here, we review the international evidence on the relationships between trade agreements and diet-related health and, where available, documents and leaked text from the TPP negotiations. Similar to other recent bilateral or regional trade agreements, we find that the TPP would propose tariffs reductions, foreign investment liberalisation and intellectual property protection that extend beyond provisions in the multilateral World Trade Organization agreements. The TPP is also likely to include strong investor protections, introducing major changes to domestic regulatory regimes to enable greater industry involvement in policy making and new avenues for appeal. Transnational food corporations would be able to sue governments if they try to introduce health policies that food companies claim violate their privileges in the TPP; even the potential threat of litigation could greatly curb governments? ability to protect public health. Hence, we find that the TPP, emblematic of a new generation of 21st century trade policy, could potentially yield greater risks to health than prior trade agreements. Because the text of the TPP is secret until the countries involved commit to the agreement, it is essential for public health concerns to be articulated during the negotiation process. Unless the potential health consequences of each part of the text are fully examined and taken into account, and binding language is incorporated in the TPP to safeguard regulatory policy space for health, the TPP could be detrimental to public health nutrition. Health advocates and health-related policymakers must be proactive in their engagement with the trade negotiations. Free full texthttp://www.
Adolescent girls’ views on safety in cities. Findings from the Because I am a Girl Urban Programme study in Cairo, Delhi, Hanoi, Kampala, and Lima.
Plan International; Women in Cities International; United Nations Human Settlements Programme [UN-HABITAT]. Woking, United Kingdom, Plan International, 2013. [12] p.
Abstract: This unique participatory study — involving more than 1,000 adolescent girls from five cities across the world — reveals that fear of sexual violence is creating “no-go areas” for girls. Although girls are more likely to be educated and marry later in cities, they face regular threats to their safety. The participants from Cairo, Delhi, Hanoi, Kampala and Lima assessed their neighborhoods and mapped out major obstacles to their safety and inclusiveness. The findings include: Only 3.3% of girls in Delhi reported always feeling safe when using public transport. 80% of girls in Kampala do not feel safe. In Lima, only 2.2% of girls reported always feeling safe when walking in public spaces. Despite being from different parts of the world, the participants shared a common vision for future cities, which are well-lit, well-planned, have access to clean toilets and allow them to make their way safely to education, work and leisure facilities.
An Application of AHP Approach to Investigate Tourism Promotional Effectiveness.
Lai, Wen-Hsiang; Vinh, Nguyen Quang. Tourism and Hospitality Management, May 2013, v. 19, iss. 1, pp. 1-22.
Abstract: The tourism industry service network (TISN) is considered to be one of the largest components of tourism in the modern Vietnamese economy. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) is currently developing a long-term plan to diversify the country’s tourism industry and to improve the destination image of Vietnam. To successfully implement this plan, the Vietnamese tourism industry must employ effective promotional strategies. This study is designed to determine the necessity of measuring the effectiveness of the promotional activities of tourist destinations and to decide upon a promotional strategy that appropriately parallels the desired destination attributes and destination image. This study proposes to address tourism promotional efficiency using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) methodology, a decision-making method based on pairwise comparisons between criteria, and constructs an evaluation structure with criteria-associated weights for factor selection. In accordance with AHP design, this study selects participants who had been in charge of or served in the Vietnamese tourism industry for a number of years. This study finds that “government policy,” “service staff,” and “tourist satisfaction” are the three most important factors impacting tourism promotional effectiveness. Surprisingly, “tourist loyalty” and “tourism infrastructure” are considered to be the least important factors affecting tourism promotional efficiency. This study provides valuable information and knowledge of tourism promotional effectiveness to be fully shared and passed on in the tourism industry, resulting in a corporate cultural atmosphere that creates the innovative impetus of destination attributes and images.
Are Carbon Taxes Good for the Poor? A General Equilibrium Analysis for Vietnam.
Coxhead, Ian; Wattanakuljarus, Anan; Nguyen, Chan V. World Development, November 2013, v. 51, pp. 119-31.
Abstract: We evaluate effects of an environmental tax using a general equilibrium model linked to a household database. The burden of the tax, applied mainly to energy, is passed forward by non-tradable industries and backward by tradable industries facing fixed world prices. The tax is thus equivalent to a real exchange rate appreciation, and since export industries are labor-intensive, reduces employment, and increases poverty, especially when labor supply is responsive to wages. The use of revenues to increase transfers to households can offset poverty increases, but does not create jobs; thus the tax will likely conflict with other development policy objectives.
ASEAN 2030: Challenges of Building a Mature Political and Security Community.
Amitav Acharya. ADBI Working Paper No: 441, published 28 October 2013.
Abstract: The paper examines ASEAN’s political and security challenges and prospects in the coming two decades. The challenges facing ASEAN could be classified into six broad categories: (1) the shifting balance of power in the Asia Pacific; (2) the persistence of intra-ASEAN territorial conflicts; (3) the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, (4) the programs of military modernizations undertaken by ASEAN states and the resulting prospects for an intra-ASEAN arms race, (5) uncertainty and strife caused by demands for domestic political change, and (6) the dangers posed by transnational (non-traditional) security threats. The conditions for ASEAN to build a mature political-security community are also discussed. Free full text http://www.adbi.org/working-
Breastfeeding practices in urban and rural Vietnam.
Thu HN; Eriksson B; Khanh TT; Petzold M; Bondjers G; Kim CN; Thanh LN; Ascher H. BMC Public Health. 2012; 12:964.
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to describe and compare breastfeeding practices in rural and urban areas of Vietnam and to study associations with possibly influencing person and household factors. This type of study has not been conducted in Vietnam before.
METHODS: Totally 2,690 children, born from 1st March 2008 to 30th June 2010 in one rural and one urban Health and Demographic Surveillance Site, were followed from birth to the age of 12 months. Information about demography, economy and education for persons and households was obtained from household surveys. Standard statistical methods including survival and regression analyses were used.
RESULTS: Initiation of breastfeeding during the first hour of life was more frequent in the urban area compared to the rural (boys 40% vs. 35%, girls 49% vs. 40%). High birth weight and living in households with large number of assets significantly increased the probability for early initiation of breastfeeding. Exclusive breastfeeding at three months of age was more commonly reported in the rural than in the urban area (boys 58% vs. 46%, girls 65% vs. 53%). The duration of exclusive breastfeeding as well as of any breastfeeding was longer in the rural area than in the urban area (medians for boys 97 days vs. 81 days, for girls 102 days vs. 91 days). The percentages of children with exclusive breastfeeding lasting at least 6 months, as recommended by WHO, were low in both areas. The duration of exclusive breastfeeding was significantly shorter for mothers with three or more antenatal care visits or Caesarean section in both areas. High education level of mothers was associated with longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding in the rural area. No significant associations were found between duration of exclusive breastfeeding and mother’s age, household economy indicators or household size.
CONCLUSION: Intervention programs with the aim to promote breastfeeding are needed. Mothers should particularly be informed about the importance of starting breastfeeding early and to prolong exclusive breastfeeding. In order to reach the WHO recommendation of six months exclusive breastfeeding, we propose an extended maternity leave legislation to at least six months.
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment: Case of Coastal Cities in South East Asia.
Nitivattananon, Vilas; Noi, Lam Vu Thanh; Lohpaisankrit, Worapong. Source: Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, 2013, pp. 597-614.
Abstract: As climate change is likely to have negative impacts on coastal areas in many regions including South East Asia, improved knowledge on the understanding of assessment methods and results is gaining interest. Based on an on-going project implemented by the asian institute of technology (AIT) and partners in South East Asia, with the goal to enhance local adaptive capacities through learning from the cooperative research results on climate change impacts in coastal cities of the region, this paper provides overall information and progressive results of the project, including a review of climate change vulnerability and risk assessment processes, as well as available tools/techniques for the assessment, whilst also conducting a rapid vulnerability assessment (RVA) with a case study. Conclusions and recommendations are also made for the next steps of the project and possible contributions to other related projects and cities.
Copper use and accumulation in catfish culture in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
Helle Marcussen, Helle Løjmand, Anders Dalsgaard, Dao M. Hai & Peter E. Holm. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A: Toxic/Hazardous Substances and Environmental Engineering, Volume 49, Issue 2, 2014, pages 187-192.
Abstract: Aquaculture of Pangasius hypophthalmus (striped catfish) in Vietnam reached 1.1 million tonnes in 2011 and catfish fillets are exported worldwide. The intensive cultures of catfish mainly in earth ponds have made it necessary to apply CuSO4 and other chemicals to control external parasites and other pathogens. However, accumulation of Cu in aquaculture ponds may pose a hazard to growth of fish or to the aquatic environment. The aim of this study was to determine accumulation of Cu in sediment, water and fish in a catfish pond with a history of repeated treatment with CuSO4 in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Copper concentrations in pond sediment were in the interval 21.3–45.7 mg kg−1 dw and did not exceed the Vietnamese values for soil to be used for agricultural production (70 mg kg−1 dw.). During three samplings the total mean concentration of Cu in pond water (4 μg L−1) did not exceed the LC50-value (70 μg L−1) for catfish and the mean dissolved concentration of Cu (0.986 μg L−1) did not seem to constitute a risk for the stability of the aquatic ecosystem. No significant variation in Cu concentrations between sampling sites in the pond and depth of sediment profile were determined. The accumulation of Cu in catfish was highest in the liver compared to the skin, gills and muscle tissue. With the current practice of removing pond sludge three to four times during a production cycle little if any Cu seems to accumulate in catfish ponds despite repeated anti-parasite treatments with CuSO4. Further studies are needed to assess the eco-toxicity and impact on agricultural production when pond sediment is discharged into aquatic recipients and used as soil fertilizer.
Current Trends in CSR Practices in Private Enterprises in: Comparative Experiences of Bangladesh and Vietnam.
Nakib Muhammad Nasrullah, Mia Mahmudur Rahim. in: CSR in Private Enterprises in Developing Countries, Springer 2014, pp 179-196.
Abstract: In this chapter, as regards the promotion and practice of CSR in a comparable Asian country, Vietnam is examined with a view to comparing the status of its engagement in CSR with that of Bangladesh. The end in view is to identify the comparable rank/posture of Bangladesh and any lesson to be learnt from the Vietnam experience in promoting and integrating CSR in the private enterprises of Bangladesh. Vietnam was selected for comparison with Bangladesh as both are developing countries and of similar character in business and economy.
Determinants of Shrimp Importation into the USA: An Application of an Augmented Gravity Model.
He, Chenyi; Quagrainie, Kwamena K.; Wang, H. Holly. Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, August 2013, v. 11, iss. 3, pp. 219-28.
Abstract: Shrimp farmers in the USA are facing the situation of increased imports resulting in reduced market share, falling prices, and reduced profitability for their farm-raised shrimp. The study examined the determinants of shrimp imports from China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia using an augmented gravity model of international trade. The results reveal that US imports from the four exporting countries are significantly affected by the GDP of exporting countries, GDP of the USA, exchange rate, unit import value (proxy for import price) of shrimp, and tariff. Tariff policy has implications for the US shrimp industry
Do Community-Sanctioned Social Pressures Constrain Microenterprise Growth? Evidence from a Framed Field Experiment.
Alex Oo, Russell Toth. Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Available online 14 November 2013.
Abstract: We conduct a framed lab-in-field experiment to explore the hypothesis that a number of stylized facts about microenterprise behaviour in developing countries – including product market homogeneity and lack of growth and innovation – can be explained by a social institution in which microentrepreneurs share the market to “buy a job.” 280 present or prospective market trader women across four communities in rural Vietnam are anonymously randomized into pairs to play three “market game” treatments. The interactions are framed to simulate real-world retail market competition. The participants compete in an effort task, with performance determining market returns. A highly incentivized individual round allows us to extract a measure of individual “ability” in the effort task. The subjects then compete in successive treatments, where in the final treatment the losing participant in a round can elect to “burn” their competitor’s output, which is framed as the application of social pressure. The behavioural responses are significant and fitting with a theoretical model of the social institution we have in mind: even though subjects are from the same community they are willing to punish (“apply social pressure”), the probability of punishment is increasing in the gap in ability in the pair, and this leads to a decrease in performance from higher-ability individuals. The study provides an example of the use of framed lab experiments to shed light on market behaviour in developing countries, for which full-blown RCTs may face serious feasibility or ethical challenges.
Epidemiological urinalysis of children from kindergartens of Can Gio, Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam.
Le Nhu Dang, Thi Le Doan, Ngoc Hue Doan, Thi Kim Pham, Françoise Smets, Mong Hiep Tran Thi, Françoise Janssen and Annie Robert. BMC Pediatrics 2013, 13:183.
Abstract:
— Background: Recent studies on Vietnamese children have shown that kidney diseases are not detected early enough to prevent chronic renal failure. The dipstick test is a simple and useful tool for detecting urinary abnormalities, especially in isolated or remote areas of Vietnam, where children have limited access to health care.
— Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011 at seven kindergartens in Can Gio district, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Two thousand and twelve children, aged 3 to 5, were enrolled. Morning mid-stream urine samples were examined by dipstick. Children with abnormal findings were re-examined with a second dipstick and underwent further investigations.
— Results: Urinalysis was available for 1,032 boys and 980 girls. Mean age was 4.4 +/- 0.8 years. Urinary abnormalities were detected in 108 (5.5%) of the subjects. Among them, nitrituria and leucocyturia accounted for more than 50%. Positive fractions of proteinuria, hematuria, nitrituria, leucocyturia, and combined nitrituria and leucocyturia after two dipsticks were 0.1%, 0.1%, 2%, 1% and 0.3%, respectively. Abnormal findings were more common in girls than boys (p < 0.001), and higher in communes with very low (< 50 persons/km2) population density (14.3% vs 4.1%, p < 0.001). A renal ultrasound detected four cases of hydronephrosis and one case of duplication of ureter.
— Conclusions: The prevalence of urinary abnormalities in asymptomatic children in South Vietnam demonstrates the need for hygiene education among parents. Training for dipstick usage for all medical staff at health stations, especially in remote areas and in places with very low population density, is also clearly necessary. Routine urinalysis can be set up if a close control is conducted at locations. Free full text http://www.biomedcentral.com/
Ethnicity and education in China and Vietnam: discursive formations of inequality.
Joan DeJaeghere, Xinyi Wua & Lisa Vu. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, Published online: 30 Oct 2013.
Abstract: This article aims to understand how ethnicity is discursively framed in national policies in China and Vietnam and argues that policy discourses affect how the ‘problem’ of ethnicity and educational inequalities is framed and how these inequalities can be addressed. The analysis shows how both Marxist and market-economy governing rationalities frame ethnic minority groups as lower status than the majority group and in need of either socially evolving to the communist ideal or assimilating into the global economic market, respectively. Using Fraser’s multi-dimensional approach to analyse discursive formations of inequality, we show how these policy discourses produce a non-ethnic economic citizen with socialist tendencies that negates cultural or social recognition and political representation. We conclude that researchers and policymakers need to consider how ethnicity is discursively framed to understand and address inequalities. Free full text http://www.tandfonline.com/
Evaluation of dynamically downscaled ensemble climate simulations for Vietnam.
Mai Van Khiem, Grace Redmond, Carol McSweeney, Tran Thuc. International Journal of Climatology, Early View, Article first published online: 6 NOV 2013.
ABSTRACT: This article presents an assessment of the skill of regional climate model PRECIS in simulating seasonal climate over Vietnam. The simulations were conducted at a horizontal resolution of 25 km × 25 km. The model simulations were forced by the ERA-Interim reanalysis and five members of the Hadley Centre’s perturbed physics ensemble (PPE). CRU, APHRODITE, ERA40 datasets and observations recorded at 61 meteorological stations over Vietnam were used to validate the model. The analysis compared seasonal averages of observed and simulated precipitation, temperature, 850 hPa wind speed and direction, as well as the 99th percentile of daily precipitation and the 95th and 5th percentile of daily minimum and maximum temperatures. Annual cycles of temperature and precipitation, and the interannual variability of precipitation were also assessed. The reanalysis-driven simulation accurately reproduced most of the important characteristics of the observed spatial patterns and annual cycles of circulation rainfall and temperature as well as capturing key characteristics of interannual variability in rainfall and of extremes in precipitation and temperature. Some apparent systematic cool biases were found most likely to be an artefact of inadequacies in the CRU-gridded temperature observations. The regional model was found to introduce some systematic wet-biases in rainfall. The five GCM driven simulations demonstrated errors with similar characteristics to the ERA-Interim-driven simulations, although with diversity in the magnitude of those errors resulting from the differences in the characteristics of the different members of the HadCM3-based PPE. By assessing the skill of these models at producing realistic baseline simulations, we gain valuable contextual information to guide the application and interpretation of the future projections over Vietnam generated using these models.
Ex-ante assessment of soil conservation methods in the uplands of Vietnam: An agent-based modeling approach.
Dang Viet Quang, Pepijn Schreinemachers, Thomas Berger. Agricultural Systems, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 5 November 2013.
Abstract: Agriculture in mountainous areas in Vietnam has much intensified since the introduction of market-based reforms in the mid 1980s. The adoption of hybrid maize varieties, mineral fertilizers and reduction in fallow periods has improved farm incomes, but has also led to a dramatic increase in soil erosion from sloping lands which has created a downward pressure on crop yields and has had adverse effects on downstream areas. This study explores the relationship between soil fertility, crop yields and the use of soil conservation methods by applying an agent-based modeling approach that combines whole-farm mathematical programming to simulate the decision-making of each individual farm household with a biophysical simulator of crop yields and soil fertility dynamics for each individual landscape unit. Simulation results suggest an average soil loss is 30 tons for maize fields and 27 tons for cassava fields per hectare per annum under present economic conditions, which is in the range of what other studies have measured, and a consequent decline in the average household incomes by 28.5% over a 25 years period. The introduction of three soil conservation methods in maize (vetiver grass strips, ruzi grass barriers and leucaena hedges) shows that these are not economical for farm households to adopt under present conditions, chiefly because of lower short-term maize yields. We explore the effect of giving farm households monetary incentives to adopt soil conservation and find that the payment needed for reducing 40 ± 2% of the estimated soil loss would be about 12–16 USD per ton of soil saved.
Farmers’ assessments of private adaptive measures to climate change and influential factors: a study in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
Hoa Le Dang, Elton Li, Ian Nuberg, Johan Bruwer. Natural Hazards, November 2013.
Abstract: Adaptation to climate change in agricultural settings depends on understanding farmers’ perceptions of the nature of climate change, their agency in adapting and the efficacy of adaptive measures themselves. Such knowledge can improve mitigation and adaptation strategies. This study addresses the limited understanding of how farmers appraise their private adaptive measures and influential factors. It uses data from structured interviews with 598 rice farmers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Based on protection motivation theory, farmers’ assessments of private adaptive measures were measured by perceived self-efficacy, perceived adaptation efficacy and perceived adaptation cost. Multiple regressions were used to understand significant factors affecting those assessments. Some demographic and socio-economic factors, belief in climate change, information and objective resources were found to influence farmers’ adaptation assessments. It is shown that the sources and quality of information are particularly important. The improvement of both the accessibility and usefulness of local services (e.g. irrigation, agricultural extension, credit and health care) is deemed a necessity for successful adaptation strategies in the Mekong Delta. The paper also shows the application of PMT in measuring farmers’ appraisals of private adaptive measures to climate change, thereby opening this area for further research.
Financial Impact of Foot and Mouth Disease on Large Ruminant Smallholder Farmers in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
Nampanya, S. Khounsy, A. Phonvisay, J. R. Young, R. D. Bush and P. A. Windsor. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, Volume 60, Issue 6, December 2013S.
Summary: A retrospective investigation of financial losses incurred by large ruminant smallholder farmers due to outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in 2010–12 in northern Laos was conducted in 2012. The aim was to support recommendations on sustainable transboundary animal disease control strategies in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Large ruminant smallholders in the three northern provinces of Luang Prabang (LPB), Xiengkhoung (XK) and Xayyabouli (XYL) were interviewed (n = 310). Financial losses were determined, including direct losses due to mortality (100% of pre-FMD sale value) and morbidity (difference between the expected sale price pre-FMD and 1 month following onset of FMD), and indirect losses due to costs of treatments. The losses due to FMD per household varied between provinces (P < 0.001) and were USD 1124, USD 862 and USD 381 in LPB, XK and XYL, respectively, being 60, 40 and 16% of annual household income. Comparison of the costs of FMD with annual household income from sales of large ruminants indicated losses of 213, 181 and 60% of the income in LPB, XK and XYL, respectively. The variation in losses between provinces was due to differences in levels of morbidity with highest in LPB, treatment methods with antibiotic use common in LPB, age of animals sold and sale prices with higher prices in XK. Partial budget analysis of biannual FMD vaccination indicated an average net benefit of USD 22 and USD 33 for cattle and buffalo, respectively. However, vaccination alone is unlikely to control FMD in the region. Promotion of multiple large ruminant health and production intervention programmes to stimulate interest in biosecurity in addition to vaccination is recommended, providing a more sustainable pathway for poverty reduction through the current expansion of livestock investments in the GMS.
Health sector demand-side financial incentives in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review on demand- and supply-side effects.
Saji S. Gopalan, Ronald Mutasa, Jed Friedman, Ashis Das. Social Science & Medicine, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 4 November 2013.
Abstract: Demand-side financial incentive (DSF) is an emerging strategy to improve health seeking behavior and health status in many low- and middle-income countries. This narrative synthesis assessed the demand- and supply-side effects of DSF. Forty one electronic data bases were searched to screen relevant experimental and quasi-experimental study designs. Out of the 64 selected papers, 28 were eligible for this review and they described 19 DSF initiatives across Asia, Africa and Latin America. There were three categories of initiatives, namely long-run multi-sectoral programs or LMPs (governmental); long-run health-exclusive programs (governmental); and short-run health-exclusive initiatives (both governmental and non-governmental). Irrespective of the nature of incentives and initiatives, all DSF programs could achieve their expected behavioral outcomes on healthcare seeking and utilization substantially. However, there existed a few negative and perverse outcomes on health seeking behavior and DSF’s impact on continuous health seeking choices (e.g. bed net use and routine adult health check-ups) was mixed. Their effects on maternal health status, diarrhea, malaria and out-of-pocket expenditure were under-explored; while chronic non-communicable diseases were not directly covered by any DSF programs. DSF could reduce HIV prevalence and child deaths, and enhance nutritional and growth status of children. The direction and magnitude of their effects on health status was elastic to the evaluation design employed. On health system benefits, despite prioritizing on vulnerable groups, DSF’s substantial effect on the poorest of the poor was mixed compared to that on the relatively richer groups. Though DSF initiatives intended to improve service delivery status, many could not optimally do so, especially to meet the additionally generated demand for care. Causal pathways of DSF’s effects should be explored in-depth for mid-course corrections and cross-country learning on their design, implementation and evaluation. More policy-specific analyses on LMPs would be relevant to assess how ‘multi-sectoral’approaches can be cost-effective and sustainable in the long run compared to ‘health exclusive’ incentives.
Household contact investigation for tuberculosis in Vietnam: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.
Gregory J Fox, Nguyen Viet Nhung, Dinh Ngoc Sy, Warwick J Britton and Guy B Marks. Trials 2013, 14:342.
Abstract:
— Background: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that continues to cause considerable morbidity and mortality globally. Only 65% of patients worldwide are currently diagnosed. Contact investigation is a strategy that aims to increase case detection and reduce transmission of tuberculosis, yet there is little evidence to show its effectiveness.
— Methods/Design: We will conduct a cluster randomized controlled trial of contact investigation within the national tuberculosis control program of Vietnam. Household contacts of patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis will be invited to attend district tuberculosis units for symptom screening, examination, and chest radiography on four occasions over a two-year period. The primary endpoint is clinically confirmed tuberculosis among contacts during the 24 months of follow-up, ascertained using capture-recapture analysis. Microbiologically proven tuberculosis and treatment completion rates among contacts diagnosed with tuberculosis will be secondary endpoints. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio will be estimated. The study will have 80% power to detect a 50% increase in the primary endpoint in the active intervention arm compared with the control arm. The study will include 8,829 contacts in each of the active screening and control groups, within 70 districts in 8 provinces in Vietnam, in both rural and urban settings.
— Discussion: The effectiveness of contact investigation as a tool for improved tuberculosis case finding has not been established. This cluster randomized trial will provide valuable operational information for national tuberculosis programs in high-prevalence countries, in order to select the most cost-effective strategies to improve tuberculosis case detection. Free full text http://www.trialsjournal.com/
Household survey of installation and treatment efficiency of point-of-use water treatment systems in Hanoi, Vietnam.
An Thuan Do, Keisuke Kuroda, Takeshi Hayashi, Tran Thi Viet Nga, Kumiko Oguma and Satoshi Takizawa. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology—AQUA, In Press, Uncorrected Proof, 2013.
ABSTRACT: Since urban water supply is not yet available for every inhabitant in Hanoi City, numerous residents look for alternative sources such as groundwater and rainwater to compensate the supply shortage. However, in parts of Hanoi, it was reported that groundwater is polluted by various contaminants including arsenic (As) and ammonia (NH4-N). Therefore, numerous types of point-of-use (POU) water treatment systems have been used in households, but treatment efficiency has not been well documented. Hence, this study aims to investigate the proliferation and efficiency of household treatment systems. One hundred and seventy households from three communes were selected for a survey of questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Twenty-four household water treatment systems from six communes were monitored for water sample collection and analysis. The results indicate that sand filter (SF), ceramic filter (CF), microfiltration (MF), anion exchange (AX) and reverse osmosis (RO) were popular POU water treatment systems, but removal efficiency varied among different treatment processes. Groundwater quality shows an average As concentration of 71 μg/L (max. 305 μg/L) and 81% of these samples had As concentration higher than the World Health Organization guideline value of 10 μg/L. An integration of SF and RO can guarantee water with As concentration below 10 μg/L, whereas AX, MF and CF did not remove As at all.
How Effective Is Small Dam Flood Safety Accountability and Assurance Policy in Vietnam?
Dam, Tuyet Thi; Burritt, Roger L.; Pisaniello, John D. Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, 2013, pp. 437-61.
Abstract: This paper examines the effectiveness of small dam safety accountability, responsibility and assurance policy practices in Vietnam. Vietnam is of interest because of the catastrophic consequences of an increasing number of dam failures in recent years associated to floods. Yet the solutions necessary to minimise dam failure in Vietnamese floods remain unexplored. The effectiveness of the Vietnamese small dam safety accountability, responsibility and assurance policy practices was tested in three stages. First, international benchmarks were established based on available literature for comparison with the case study in Vietnam. Second, ten on-site dam surveys were undertaken in Tan Moc commune to explore prevalent dam safety problems. Third, fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with five key stakeholder groups to examine perceptions of the effectiveness of the current policy and associated practices. The surveys demonstrated that all ten dams surveyed were rated “High” hazard and were at high risk of failure because of physical and management inadequacies. Interview evidence confirmed floods were the dominant cause of dam safety deficiencies and dam failures. In addition, accountability and responsibility for dam safety was poorly implemented, giving low levels of assurance to communities. The comparison showed that Vietnam not only failed to satisfy international benchmarks but also performed far below the minimum level. This research provides an original contribution towards assessing the status of small dam safety management and assurance policy in developing countries such as Vietnam.
How Strong Is the Evidence for the Existence of Poverty Traps? A Multicountry Assessment.
McKay, Andy; Perge, Emilie. Journal of Development Studies, July 2013, v. 49, iss. 7, pp. 877-97.
Abstract: Introducing this special collection on asset dynamics and poverty traps, this article assesses evidence on these issues across eight panel data sets in six countries generally not previously considered in this perspective. It examines the importance of assets in relation to chronic poverty and uses parametric and non-parametric methods to test for dynamic asset-based poverty traps. The article finds that chronically poor households have lower levels of assets than others, though does not find evidence of the non-convexities which would imply a multiple dynamic poverty trap. From this base the article introduces the remainder of the articles in this collection which set out many promising approaches to further develop and improve methods and approaches for looking at poverty traps in future.
Impacts of China on Poverty Reduction in Vietnam.
by Nguyen Thi Kim Dung, Nguyen Manh Hai, Tran Trung Hieu. in: Assessing China’s Impact on Poverty in the Greater Mekong Subregion, Hossein Jalilian, editor, ISEAS Publishing, 2013.
About the book: Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, and the ushering in of an era of global economic relations, the United States and Europe have been the core poles of economic power. However, China along with India is increasingly challenging the traditional economic hegemony. An issue of great importance is how this shift in the global economic balance of power will affect developing economies and the transition economies of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), which are located in China’s backyard and deeply integrated into its economy through regional supply chains. This volume examines the relationship between transition economies and the rise of China through presenting empirical case studies from the GMS. In doing so, it offers insights into the effect of China on developing countries in general, and offers practical policy directions for the place-specific economies of the GMS.
Improving Smallholder Farmer Biosecurity in the Mekong Region Through Change Management.
J. R. Young, S. Evans-Kocinski, R. D. Bush and P. A. Windsor. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, Volume 60, Issue 6, December 2013.
Summary: Transboundary animal diseases including foot-and-mouth disease and haemorrhagic septicaemia remain a major constraint for improving smallholder large ruminant productivity in the Mekong region, producing negative impacts on rural livelihoods and compromising efforts to reduce poverty and food insecurity. The traditional husbandry practices of smallholders largely exclude preventive health measures, increasing risks of disease transmission. Although significant efforts have been made to understand the social aspects of change development in agricultural production, attention to improving the adoption of biosecurity has been limited. This study reviews smallholder biosecurity risk factors identified in the peer-reviewed literature and from field research observations conducted in Cambodia and Laos during 2006–2013, considering these in the context of a change management perspective aimed at improving adoption of biosecurity measures. Motivation for change, resistance to change, knowledge management, cultural dimensions, systems theory and leadership are discussed. Due to geographical, physical and resource variability, the implementation of biosecurity interventions suitable for smallholders is not a ‘one size fits all’. Smallholders should be educated in biosecurity principles and empowered to make personal decisions rather than adopt prescribed pre-defined interventions. Biosecurity interventions should be aligned with smallholder farmer motivations, preferably offering clear short-term risk management benefits that elicit interest from smallholders. Linking biosecurity and disease control with improved livestock productivity provides opportunities for sustainable improvements in livelihoods. Participatory research and extension that improves farmer knowledge and practices offers a pathway to elicit sustainable broad-scale social change. However, examples of successes need to be communicated both at the ‘evidence-based level’ to influence regional policy development and at the village or commune level, with ‘champion farmers’ and ‘cross-visits’ used to lead local change. The adoption of applied change management principles to improving regional biosecurity may assist current efforts to control and eradicate transboundary diseases in the Mekong region.
Incorporating elements of social franchising in government health services improves the quality of infant and young child feeding counselling services at commune health centres in Vietnam.
Phuong H. Nguyen, Sunny S. Kim, Sarah C. Keithly, Nemat Hajeebhoy, Lan M. Tran, Marie T. Ruel, Rahul Rawat, and Purnima Menon. Health Policy Plan. published 14 November 2013.
Abstract:
— Background: Although social franchising has been shown to enhance the quality of reproductive health services in developing countries, its effect on nutrition services remains unexamined. This study assessed the effects of incorporating elements of social franchising on shaping the quality of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) counselling facilities and services in Vietnam.
— Methods: Process-related data collected 12 months after the launch of the first franchises were used to compare randomly assigned Alive & Thrive-supported health facilities (AT-F, n = 20) with standard facilities (SF, n = 12) across three dimensions of service quality: ‘structure’, ‘process’ and ‘outcome’ that capture the quality of facilities, service delivery, and client perceptions and use, respectively. Data collection included facility assessments (n = 32), staff surveys (n = 96), counselling observations (n = 137), client exit interviews (n = 137) and in-depth interviews with mothers (n = 48).
— Results: Structure: AT-F were more likely to have an unshared, well-equipped room for nutrition counselling than SF (65.0% vs 10.0%). Process: Compared with SF providers, AT-F staff had better IYCF knowledge (mean score 9.9 vs 8.8, range 0–11 for breastfeeding; mean score 3.6 vs 3.2, range 0–4 for complementary feeding). AT-F providers also demonstrated significantly better interpersonal communication skills (score 9.6 vs 5.1, range 0–13) and offered more comprehensive counselling sessions.
— Outcome: Overall utilization of franchises was low (10%). A higher proportion of pregnant women utilized franchise services (48.9%), compared with mothers with children 6–23.9 months (1.4%). There was no quantitative difference in client satisfaction with counselling services between AT-F and SF, but franchise users praised the AT-F for problem solving related to child feeding.
— Conclusions: Incorporating elements of social franchising significantly enhances the quality of IYCF counselling services within government primary healthcare facilities, particularly their structural and process attributes. Provided that service utilization is improved through demand generation, this model has the potential to impact IYCF practices and child nutrition.
Inflation Targeting in ASEAN-10.
Wai Ching Poon and Yong Shen Lee. South African Journal of Economics, Volume 81, Issue 3, September 2013.
Abstract: The paper addresses the empirical question of whether economies that do not systematically target inflation (non-inflation targeters) experience higher exchange rate volatility as compared with inflation targeters in 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) from 1990 to 2010. The paper examines the role of real exchange rate, exchange rate volatility and the reaction functions of central banks using dynamic panel estimation techniques. The results indicate that the output gap offers more useful information than the inflation gap in setting interest rates for inflation targeters, implying that the real term is more important than the nominal term. In turn, this suggests that an increase in interest rate can be wielded swiftly to reduce real gross domestic product and suppress inflation. The real exchange rate appears as a weaker determinant in setting interest rates for non-inflation targeters. Inflation targeters experienced lower exchange rate volatility compared with non-targeters in the ASEAN, which implies that implementation costs to their domestic economies may be marginally lower. Meanwhile, the non-targeters follow a mixed strategy as both the inflation and real exchange rate are used as instruments to set the interest rates.
Marine Protected Areas, Co-Management and Livelihoods: Coastal Change in Vietnam.
Brown, Paula. PhD thesis, University of Sydney, 2013.
Abstract: The research presented in this thesis investigates what happens in the implementation of co-management and MPAs as model approaches, how they have been translated to and within the context of Vietnam, and how fishing-based livelihoods are transformed through these processes. The thesis considers “aquarian transitions” in the coastal zone around processes of regulatory, environmental and livelihoods change associated with agrarian change analysis. Aquarian transition re-frames these processes to the specificities of the aquatic context and to the rural coastal landscape of the MPA. The research questions addressed through this thesis are: • What are the socio-political influences on MPA management and how do these affect the achievement of biodiversity conservation and sustainable re! source m anagement objectives? How do the institutions of MPA development play out at different scales, from the local to the national? What is the influence of different government, non-government and international actors at these different scales? • How does co-management of aquatic natural resources work in Vietnam given its centralized, authoritarian mode of government and the flow-on effects of this on natural resource governance? How are universalistic co-management practices developed and promoted by international actors from the west/global north translated within the context of Vietnam? • How do MPAs in Vietnam affect and address existing livelihoods of local people within and around the protected area? Are alternative livelihoods programs successful or adequate? Do they replace or only supplement existing livelihoods? What assumptions are evident within livelihood programs about local people’s adaptation to livelihood change in the face of restricted access? Multi-sited and multi-scaled ethnography was used in the research to address research questions around livelihoods, co-management, and the institutions of MPA development. Free full text http://ses.library.usyd.edu.
Measuring Norms of Income Transfer: Trust Experiments and Survey Data from Vietnam.
Tomomi Tanaka, Colin F. Camerer, Quang Nguyen. March 3, 2013.
Abstract: This paper compares the patterns of income transfers within village communities in the north and south of Vietnam by analyzing survey and experimental data. The results of household data analysis show private transfers flow from high-income households to low-income households in the south where the social safety net is limited. In contrast, private transfers do not correlate with pre-transfer income in the north where public transfers are more widespread. In addition, public transfers crowd out private transfers in the north. The result of subjective survey data analysis also indicates people in the south favor redistribution to the poor. We conducted a trust game in both regions and found consistent results. People in the south are more altruistic toward the poor: they send more to the poor without expecting higher repayment. Private norms of redistribution from rich to poor appear to be active in the south, but are crowded out in the north by public redistribution. Free full text http://www.gdn.int/admin/
Momentum Effect: Evidence from the Vietnamese Stock Market.
Pascal Alphonse, Thu Hang Nguyen. Asian Journal of Finance & Accounting, 2013, Vol. 5, No. 2.
Abstract: This paper focuses on the profitability of momentum strategies in the Vietnamese stock market. The results assert that momentum occurs within small- and large- sized stock subsamples in the period prior to the Lehmann shock and does not exist in the remaining subsamples. Further tests point out that the occurrence of momentum follows market gains and is consistent with the overreaction hypothesis. The phenomenon is likely to be explained by the low individualism in the Vietnamese culture. Evidence on high volatility, low persistence and high correlation of stock returns is also found from the study. Full text is available upon request. [Alphonse&Hang-2013.pdf]
Moving Out of Agriculture: Structural Change in Vietnam.
Brian McCaig, Nina Pavcnik. NBER Working Paper No. w19616, November 2013.
Abstract: We examine the role of structural change in the economic development of Vietnam from 1990 to 2008. Structural change accounted for a third of the growth in aggregate labor productivity during this period, which averaged 5.1 percent per annum. We discuss the role of reforms in agriculture, enterprises, and international integration in this process. In addition to the drastic move of employment away from agriculture toward services and manufacturing, we also document the movement of workers away from household businesses toward firms in the enterprise sector, and the reallocation of workers from state owned firms toward private domestic and foreign owned firms. Manufacturing experienced particularly rapid growth in labor productivity and a large expansion of employment, as it grew from 8 to 14 percent of the workforce. Changes in trade policy, expansion of employment in foreign owned firms, and the declining role of state owned enterprises robustly contributed toward the changing structure of employment within manufacturing.
Perspectives of pupils, parents, and teachers on mental health problems among Vietnamese secondary school pupils.
Dat Tan Nguyen, Christine Dedding, Tam Thi Pham, Joske Bunders. BMC Public Health 2013, 13:1046.
Abstract:
— Background: Secondary school can be a stressful period for adolescents, having to cope with many life changes. Very little research has been conducted on the mental health status of secondary school pupils in South East Asian countries, such as Vietnam. The study aimed to explore perceptions of mental health status, risk factors for mental health problems and strategies to improve mental health among Vietnamese secondary school students.
— Methods: A qualitative design was used to address the main study question including: six in-depth interviews conducted with professionals (with two researchers, two psychiatrists, and two secondary school teachers) to learn about their experience of mental health problems among secondary school pupils; 13 focus group discussions (four with teachers, four with parents, and five with pupils); and 10 individual in-depth interviews with pupils who did not take part in the FGDs, to reflect on the collected data and to deepen the authors’ understanding. All interviews and FGDs were audio-taped, transcribed and analyzed for the identification of emerging issues using qualitative techniques of progressive coding, analytic memoing and ongoing comparison.
— Results: Our study confirms the need to pay attention to mental health of pupils in Vietnam. Depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts were seen as major problems by all stakeholders. Mental health problems were mainly associated with academic pressure, resulting from an overloaded curriculum and pressure from teachers and parents to succeed. The study found that pupils’ mental health demands interventions at many levels, including at the level of government (Ministry of Education and Training), schools, communities, families and pupils themselves.
— Conclusions: Vietnamese secondary school pupils feel that their mental health status is poor, because of many risk factors in their learning and living environment. The need now is to investigate further to identify and apply strategies to improve students’ mental health. Free full text http://www.biomedcentral.com/
Resource Curse or Destructive Creation in Transition: Evidence from Vietnam’s Corporate Sector.
Quan Hoang Vuong and Nancy K. Napier (2014) Management Research Review, Vol. 37, Issue 7 (accepted – forthcoming).
Abstract: This paper explores the “resource curse” problem as a counter-example of creative performance and innovation by examining reliance on capital and physical resources, showing the gap between expectations and ex-post actual performance became clearer under conditions of economic turmoil. The analysis employs logistic regressions with dichotomous response and predictor variables, showing significant results. — Several findings that have use for economic and business practice follow. First, in a transition period, a typical characteristic of successful firms was their reliance on either capital resources or physical asset endowments, whereas the innovation factor was not significant.
— Second, poor-performing enterprises exhibited evidence of over reliance on both capital and physical assets. Third, firms that relied on both types of resources tended to downplay creative performance. Fourth, reliance on capital/physical resources and adoption of “creative discipline/innovations” tend to be mutually exclusive. In fact, some evidence suggests that firms face more acute problem caused by the law of diminishing returns in troubled times.
— The Vietnamese corporate sector’s addiction to resources may contribute to economic deterioration, through a downward spiral of lower efficiency leading to consumption of more resources. The “innovation factor” has not been tapped as a source of economic growth. The absence of innovations and creativity has made the notion of “resource curse” become identical to “destructive creation” implemented by ex-ante resource-rich firms, and worsened the problem of resource misallocation in transition turmoil. Working paper version 2012 https://dipot.ulb.ac.be/
Socio-economic and biophysical determinants of land degradation in Vietnam: An integrated causal analysis at the national level.
Quyet Manh Vu, Quang Bao Le, Emmanuel Frossard, Paul L.G. Vlek. Land Use Policy, Volume 36, January 2014, Pages 605-617.
Abstract: Recognizing the socio-economic and biophysical causes of land degradation at the national level is important for cause-targeted strategies when designing policies for combating land degradation. This study aims to identify the biophysical and socio-economic factors that significantly affect land degradation across Vietnam and to interpret the causalities underlying the effects. The dependent variables considered in the study are spatial, the extent and intensity of degradation in three land-use zones (agriculture, forest and severely degraded abandonment). The hypothesized explanatory variables are common economic and demographic drivers and bio-physical factors such as soil, terrain constraints, and neighborhood land-use structures that are often neglected in many large-scale land degradation assessments. Instead of using a single inferential statistic technique, we used multi-linear regression and binary logistic regression in a complementary manner to increase the detectability and credibility of the degradation cause analyses. The results showed agricultural production growth had strong and consistent effects on land degradation extent and intensity. Population growth, especially in rural areas, had a strong effect on the extent of overall land degradation. The importance of a neighboring forest was revealed for its ability to reduce land degradation intensity in abandoned, unproductive lands. The concrete faceting of the causal analysis for each land-use zone as social–ecological stratum allowed us to combine the defined social–ecological contexts, contemporary theories, and hypotheses in the field to clarify the causal factors of a complex phenomenon like land degradation. The study demonstrates these contemporary inferential statistics can be complementarily used to sufficiently detect and understand land degradation causes at the national level. The results suggest implications for national land management policy: internalizing land degradation costs in the farming system evaluation for payment for ecosystem services policy, restricting forest conversion, and improving extension services and education in agrarian communities.
The adoption of sustainable supply chain management practices in Taiwan and Vietnam.
Tsai Chi Kuo, Gary Yu-Hsin Chen, Hanh T.H. Dang, Ming-Chuan Chiu, Chia-Wei Hsu. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 2 November 2013.
Abstract: With sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), more companies have benefited from trying to be sustainable or “green” in their practices. However, there are still many challenges associated with sustainable practices and many of these are raising more questions than answers. This paper focuses on both sustainability and supply chain management from both conceptual and practical perspectives, relating the definition of SSCM to the conceptual view of a sustainable supply chain management system. In addition, the frequency of SSCM practices in Taiwan and Vietnam are compared and presented.
The Development of Civil Society and Dynamics of Governance in Vietnam’s One Party Rule.
Thiem Hai Bui. Global Change, Peace & Security, Vol. 25, No. 1, 77–93, 2013.
Abstract: Civil society has been in operation under one-party rule in Vietnam in the years since the Doi Moi (renewal) in 1986. Despite the continued monopoly of political power by the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), civil society has been gradually expanded and developed. The paper reviews recent arguments in the political science and area studies literature on the emergence of civil society in Vietnam’s Doi Moi period over the past two decades, to comment on the dynamics of the relationship between civil society and the party-state, problematizing the development of civil society in the context of a one-party-dominated state. At a certain level, civil society has been ‘tolerated’, ‘endorsed’, or recognized by the party state to fill a gap in the governance network. In practice, it has never been an easy project for civil society to make its way into Vietnamese society given the party-state’s Gramscian concession to maintain the existing hegemony.
The Economics of Climate Change, Urbanisation, and Long-Term Flood Protection.
Novoa, David Corderi. Source: Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, 2013, pp. 483-96.
Abstract: Heavily urbanised areas located in the low-lying deltas of Asia have been identified as being especially vulnerable to climate-related impacts (IPCC 2007). It has been predicted that coastal cities in East and South Asia will face an increase in the exposure of population and assets to flooding (Nicholls et al. 2008). Climate change projections suggest the possibility of an increase in the frequency and intensity of floods in these areas. At the same time, urban growth will increase the value of potential flood damages and vulnerability in the region. Given these changing disaster risks, coastal cities will need to revisit their long-term disaster risk management strategies with special consideration to flood protection investments and urban development plans. A balance will need to be found between the potential increases in flood damages and the economic benefits from growth in areas vulnerable to floods over the next decades. This paper presents an economic analysis of investments in flood protection infrastructure to mitigate increased disaster risk due to climate change and urbanisation based on hydrologic, engineering, and socio-economic considerations. The analysis is applied in the Ho Chi Minh City province of Vietnam, an area that is growing rapidly and is also subject to flooding. Probabilistic cost-benefit analysis is used to study the economic viability of alternative infrastructure designs for flood protection. The analysis improves upon traditional disaster risk planning by taking into account future changes in flood frequencies due to climate change and changes urban development due to economic growth. The framework presented illustrates the potential to incorporate economic methods in the evaluation of investments for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
The effect of a clinical pharmacist-led training programme on intravenous medication errors: a controlled before and after study.
Huong-Thao Nguyen, Hong-Tham Pham, Dang-Khoa Vo, Tuan-Dung Nguyen, Edwin R van den Heuvel, Flora M Haaijer-Ruskamp, Katja Taxis. BMJ Quality and Safety, Published Online First 6 November 2013.
Abstract:
— Background: Little is known about interventions to reduce intravenous medication administration errors in hospitals, especially in low- and middle-income countries. — Objective: To assess the effect of a clinical pharmacist-led training programme on clinically relevant errors during intravenous medication preparation and administration in a Vietnamese hospital.
— Methods: A controlled before and after study with baseline and follow-up measurements was conducted in an intensive care unit (ICU) and a post-surgical unit (PSU). The intervention comprised lectures, practical ward-based teaching sessions and protocols/guidelines, and was conducted by a clinical pharmacist and a nurse. Data on intravenous medication preparation and administration errors were collected by direct observation 12 h/day for seven consecutive days. Generalised estimating equations (GEE) were used to assess the effect of the intervention on the prevalence of clinically relevant erroneous doses, corrected for confounding factors.
— Results: 1204 intravenous doses were included, 516 during the baseline period (236 on ICU and 280 on PSU) and 688 during the follow-up period (407 on ICU and 281 on PSU). The prevalence of clinically relevant erroneous doses decreased significantly on the intervention ward (ICU) from 64.0% to 48.9% (p<0.001) but was unchanged on the control ward (PSU) (57.9% vs 64.1%; p=0.132). GEE analysis showed that doses on the intervention ward were 2.60 (1.27–5.31) times less likely to have clinically relevant errors (p=0.013).
— Conclusions: The pharmacist-led training programme was effective, but the error rate remained relatively high. Further quality improvement strategies are needed, including changes to the working environment and promotion of a safety culture.
The effect of intermittent antenatal iron supplementation on maternal and infant outcomes in rural Viet Nam: a cluster randomised trial.
Hanieh S; Ha TT; Simpson JA; Casey GJ; Khuong NC. Plos Medicine. 2013 Jun 18; 10(6):e1001470.
Abstract:
Background: Anemia affects over 500 million women, and in pregnancy is associated with impaired maternal and infant outcomes. Intermittent antenatal iron supplementation is an attractive alternative to daily dosing; however, the impact of this strategy on infant outcomes remains unclear. We compared the effect of intermittent antenatal iron supplementation with daily iron supplementation on maternal and infant outcomes in rural Viet Nam.
Methods and Findings: This cluster randomized trial was conducted in Ha Nam province, Viet Nam. 1,258 pregnant women (,16 wk gestation) in 104 communes were assigned to daily iron-folic acid (IFA), twice weekly IFA, or twice weekly multiple micronutrient (MMN) supplementation. Primary outcome was birth weight. Mean birth weight was 3,148 g (standard deviation 416). There was no difference in the birth weights of infants of women receiving twice weekly IFA compared to daily IFA (mean difference [MD] 28 g; 95% CI- 22 to 78), or twice weekly MMN compared to daily IFA (MD -36.8 g; 95% CI -82 to 8.2). At 32 wk gestation, maternal ferritin was lower in women receiving twice weekly IFA compared to daily IFA (geometric mean ratio 0.73; 95% CI 0.67 to 0.80), and in women receiving twice weekly MMN compared to daily IFA (geometric mean ratio 0.62; 95% CI 0.57 to 0.68), but there was no difference in hemoglobin levels. Infants of mothers who received twice weekly IFA had higher cognitive scores at 6 mo of age compared to those who received daily IFA (MD 1.89; 95% CI 0.23 to 3.56).
Conclusions: Twice weekly antenatal IFA or MMN did not produce a clinically important difference in birth weight, when compared to daily IFA supplementation. The significant improvement in infant cognitive outcomes at 6 mo of age following twice weekly antenatal IFA requires further exploration, and provides additional support for the use of intermittent, rather than daily, antenatal IFA in populations with low rates of iron deficiency.
The impact of tourism development on land use change in the northern Vietnamese Highlands.
Hoang, Huong; Vanacker, Veerle; Van Rompaey, Anton. Prepared for the International Congress 2013: Sustainable Livelihood in the Tropical Drylands location:University of Mekelle, Mekelle, Ehtopie date:17-22 September 2013.
Abstract: The northern Vietnamese highlands is a peripherical area were a traditional way of living based on selfsubsistence agriculture and shifting cultivation is still prevalent. During the past this traditional way of living led to forest degradation and deforestation. Recently some districts in the northern Vietnamese highlands were opened for international tourism which brought a new income source to the remote areas. This paper examines whether there is a significan impact of the tourism activities on the local way of living and its corresponding land use. By means of field interviews the involvement in tourism activities were assessed at village level. In 1993 3200 tourists visited the Sapa district, a number which has increased to 405,000 in 2009. The district clearly benefited economically from this tourism boom: 59% of the GDP of the district is generated from tourism-related activities. A spatial analysis of tourism involvement shows that not all villages participate evenly in this new economic sector. Villages belonging to the ‘Kinh’ and the ‘Hmong’ ethnic groups are characterized by a high participation in tourism while the participation degree in villages belonging to the ‘Dao’ ethnic group is much lower. In order to evaluate the possible impact of tourism activities on land use change 2 land use maps based on LANDSAT-images were compiled for the Sapa district in the province Lao Cai for the years 1993 and 2006. Overall of a net decrease and degradation of the forest area could be observed in favor of an expansion of arable land. However, in the villages that were significantly involve in tourism activities higher rates of arable land abandonment and a slowing down of forest degradation could be observed. The results suggest that households that receive an additional income from tourism-related activities are no longer obliged to continue farming activities on marginal land units. The development of tourism can therefore be considered as an important driver of a forest transition in the northern Vietnamese highlands.
Trapping the tigers: Regulation of market entry and the rule of law in SE Asia.
Michael Touchton. The Social Science Journal, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 4 November 2013.
Abstract: Recent research identifies high barriers to registering a business as critical impediments to economic development around the world. Similarly, the lack of credible commitment to the rule of law – especially in the areas of property rights and contract enforcement – is also connected to economic underdevelopment. Scholarship treats these factors as rival explanations for underdevelopment. However, I argue the rule of law is the causal mechanism through which barriers to entry in the marketplace influence economic outcomes. Specifically, I present evidence perceptions of the rule of law in Southeast Asia decline as the legal restrictions on registering a business increase because public officials use their gatekeeping positions to extract rents and raise the costs of formalizing private enterprises. High disincentives to register a business drive entrepreneurs underground, which in turn leaves them vulnerable to extortion or confiscation by public officials and undermines perceptions of the rule of law. I employ pooled cross-sectional time-series data for all countries in SE Asia between 1996 and 2010 to test my theoretical argument. I use Two-Stage Least Squares Instrumental Variables, Time Series, Cross-Sectional and OLS regression models to isolate causal mechanisms and causal directions among my variables. My analyses demonstrate the deleterious effect of legal barriers to entry on the rule of law and provides a new direction for scholarship on the topic.
Vegetable production in the Red River Delta of Vietnam. II. Profitability, labour requirement and pesticide use.
Pham Thi Thu Huong, A.P. Everaarts, J.J. Neeteson, P.C. Struikd. NJAS – Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences, Available online 2 November 2013, In Press, Corrected Proof.
Abstract: Vegetable production plays an important role in the rural economy of the Red River Delta (RRD), Vietnam. Data were collected on present vegetable production in the RRD, with the aim to characterise the vegetable production in terms of profitability, labour requirement and pesticide use and to evaluate vegetable production for its potential to increase rural household income. — Three hundred and sixty data sets consisting of qualitative (planting and harvesting dates) and quantitative (yield, product price, material and labour input) data were collected from 42 different vegetable crops presently produced commercially in the RRD. Variables were converted into value (thousand Vietnamese Dong, kVND) or days per hectare per growing day in the field (Gday), enabling analysis of data independent of crop growth duration. — The income derived from vegetable production ranged from 100 to 400 kVND/ha/Gday. Labour input varied from 3 to 9 days/ha/Gday. Profit increased with an increase in the labour input per growing day. Short growth duration crops required a higher labour input per growing day. The average cost of pesticide use was 25.7 kVND/ha/Gday. Planting in the summer season may result in a shorter growing period as compared to planting in the winter season. The range of variation in the data reflects the diversity in crops and cropping conditions in the RRD. — The results indicate that permanent vegetable production has the potential to substantially contribute to an increase in rural household income in the RRD, while increased labour demand can likely be fulfilled by the family household. Thereby, developing permanent vegetable production systems may be a pathway for development of the vegetable production sector in the RRD.
Willing, but Unable: Determinants of Participation Rates for Training Workshops in Central Vietnam.
Ryan P. Gockel and Alison C. Cullen (2013). Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, 3(10): 753-766.
Abstract: This article examines the determinants affecting individuals’ previous participation in training workshops in rural Vietnam. This is the first study to examine training program participation rates in a rural Asian context. According to a survey conducted in Ha Tinh Province, Vietnam in 2008, more than 90 per cent of individuals expressed an interest in participating in a job-training program, yet only 41 per cent participated the previous year. This disconnect presents a serious challenge to increasing job training participation rates. We find that gender, age, location, and also behavioral constraints such as an individual’s risk attitude and willingness to compete are significant predictors of previous participation. Our results also indicate that those who could benefit most from job-training programs participate at lower rates. Governments and NGOs need to rethink development models taking these behavioural constraints into account. By designing interventions aimed at mitigating these constraints, participation rates for rural individuals will likely improve, offering a chance to improve livelihoods.
Nguồn từ Văn phòng Ngân hàng Thế giới tại Việt Nam
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Công bố của Hội TNSV Việt Nam tại Hoa Kỳ: Việc đăng tải những tin tức liên quan đến các cơ hội học bổng, việc làm, thực tập, tài liệu … chỉ nhằm mục đích cho các thành viên của Hội cũng như những ai quan tâm tham khảo.
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