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New research on development issues in VietnamVolume 11, number 7 (2019 July)?AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENTContract Farming in the Mekong Delta's Rice Supply Chain: Insights from an Agent-Based Modeling Study.Toward Sustainability or Efficiency: The Case of Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Vietnam.Are Vietnamese farmers able to combat global climate change? A case study on perceptions and attitudes towards sustainable forest management and REDD+ in Central Vietnam.Drivers of forest change in Hoa Binh, Vietnam in the context of integration and globalization.Forest Ecosystem Services and Local Communities: Towards a Possible Solution to Reduce Forest Dependence in Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam.Hydropower dam and hydrological alteration on the Da river in Son La, Vietnam.A Study of Mangrove Forests in the Khanh Hoa Province of Vietnam.Evaluation of Land Cover Change and Agricultural Protection Sites: A GIS and Remote Sensing Approach for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.Asian Livestock Industry Leaders’ Perceptions of the Importance of, and Solutions for, Animal Welfare Issues.Assessing antimicrobial misuse in small-scale chicken farms in Vietnam from an observational study.Diversity and sustainability of pig farm types in the northern mountains of Vietnam.Motivations for Industry Stakeholders in China, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to Improve Livestock Welfare.Poultry population dynamics and mortality risks in smallholder farms of the Mekong river delta region.Calculating the carbon footprint of rice production in Vietnam and formulating a proposal for mitigation options.Drought and conflicts at the local level: Establishing a water sharing mechanism for the summer-autumn rice production in Central Vietnam.Regional Food Reserve Mechanisms: The Case of ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve.Empirical analysis on influencing factors of quality safety for cross-border agricultural products - a case study on cross-border agricultural products in Yunnan, China and Vietnam.ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTShocks, economic policy and technology choice of heterogeneous producers.A Study on the Impact of South Korea's Official Developmental Assistance Policy toward Vietnam.The new politics of debt in the transition economy of Vietnam.The impact of socio-economic factors and regional differences on entrepreneurial activities in Vietnam.The Disparity of Revenue and Expenditure among Subnational Governments in Vietnam.Vietnam and the CPTPP: Achievements and Challenges.EDUCATIONPsychometric examination of the academic motivation scale using a Vietnamese university student sample.Results of Educational Quality Accreditation and Major Problems of 17 Private Higher Education Instituitions.Mobile learning for high-school mathematics as a path to better sustainability in a fast-changing society: an exploratory study from Vietnam.ENVIRONMENTParticipation patrolling efforts by local people: Case of Nam Tien forest station in Pu Hu Nature Reserve, Vietnam.Researching the Variation of Typhoon Intensities Under Climate Change in Vietnam: A Case Study of Typhoon Lekima, 2007.Changes in mangrove vegetation, aquaculture and paddy cultivation in the Mekong Delta: A study from Ben Tre Province, southern Vietnam.Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution to Soil Environment. A Case Study: Kieu Ky Landfill—Hanoi, Vietnam.Development of the specific emission factors for buses in Hanoi, ERNANCEDeconstructing the multi-layered nature of citizen participation in Vietnam: conceptual connotations, discourses of international development, and the country’s institutional context.Cyber Security : Will There Be One ASEAN Voice?HEALTH CAREAccess to health care for migrants in the Greater Mekong Subregion: policies and legal frameworks and their impact on malaria control in the context of malaria elimination.Avian influenza in the Greater Mekong Subregion, 2003–2018.Spatio-temporal distribution of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 in Vietnam, 2015– 2018.Effects of Parent-Child Relationships on Child Marriage of Girls in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam: Evidence From a Prospective Cohort.Enabling factors and barriers to the sustainability and scale-up of drowning reduction interventions in Vietnam: a qualitative assessment.Health and Well-being of Young People in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam: Life Course Impacts.Abstract 1618: Breast cancer screening in low and lower - middle income country : A program in Vietnam.Anthropometric, cognitive, and schooling benefits of measles vaccination: Longitudinal cohort analysis in Ethiopia, India, and Vietnam.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and antibiotic consumption results from 16 hospitals in Viet Nam- the VINARES project, 2012-2013.Prospects and strategies for malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Sub-region: a qualitative study.Knowledge and Determinants of Health Consequences of Cigarette Smoking Among Vietnamese Adults, 2015.The Financial Burden of Tuberculosis for Patients in the Western-Pacific Region.Regulation of nursing professionals in Cambodia and Vietnam: a review of the evolution and key influences.Anaemia and Its Relation to Demographic, Socio-economic and Anthropometric Factors in Rural Primary School Children in Hai Phong City, Vietnam.Creatting Dietitian System and Nutrition Standards in Vietnam Through Collaboration Between Vietnam and Japan (P22-013-19).Developing a Global Strategy for the Control of Folate Deficiency and Folic Acid Responsive Neural Tube Defects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (P10-107-19).Examining the Exposure, Timing, and Frequency of Interpersonal Communication Contacts to Improve Infant and Young Child Feeding in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam (P10-138-19).Intervention Design Elements Are Associated with Frontline Health Workers’ Performance to Deliver Infant and Young Child Nutrition Services in Bangladesh and Viet Nam (P10-128-19).Environmental analyses to inform transitions to sustainable diets in developing countries: case studies for Vietnam and Kenya.Persistent Malnutrition in Ethnic Minority Communities of Vietnam : Issues and Options for Policy and Interventions.Prevalence of Folic Acid Supplementation by Pregnant Women in Vietnam (P10-102-19).Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and antibiotic consumption results from 16 hospitals in Viet Nam- the VINARES project, 2012-2013.Cultural Sensitivity and Global Pharmacy Engagement in Asia: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam.Current Use of Antibiotics among Vietnamese People in the First Level of Healthcare System in Nam Dinh Province.Developing pharmacogenetic screening methods for an emergent country: Vietnam.Trends in Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Use of Antenatal Care Services by Women Aged 15 to 49 Years in Vietnam.Measuring healthcare service quality for inpatient at the national heart institute at Bachmai Hospital in Vietnam.The perception of crowding, quality and well-being: a study of Vietnamese public health services.ENERGYExploring Renewable Energy Opportunities in Select Southeast Asian Countries: A Geospatial Analysis of the Levelized Cost of Energy of Utility-Scale Wind and Solar Photovoltaics.INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTInfrastructure and Economic Development in Developing Economies: New Empirical Evidence from Night-Time Satellite Imagery in Vietnam.Access to homebuyer credit and housing satisfaction among households buying affordable apartments in urban Vietnam.Developing a Green Route Model for Dry Port Selection in Vietnam.Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity: assessing growth impacts and interdependencies.Quality of seawater at seaports of southeast area and Mekong delta in Vietnam.Vulnerable road users in low-, middle-, and high-income countries: Validation of a Pedestrian Behaviour Questionnaire.LABORThe Feminization of Employment through Export-Led Strategies: Evidence from Viet Nam.Vietnam’s and China’s Diverging Industrial Relations Systems: Cases of Path Dependency.SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTChanging Practices in the Highlands of Vietnam: Transitioning from Subjects of Research to Agents of Change.Migration, crop production and non-farm labor diversification in rural bating Human Trafficking of Ethnic Minorities in Rural Vietnam: A Global Collaboration.Post-trafficking stressors: The influence of hopes, fears and expectations on the mental health of young trafficking survivors in the Greater Mekong Sub-region.The rationality of groundwater governance in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta’s coastal zone.Reading the Youtube sitcom My best gay friends: what it means to be gay in Vietnam.???AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT?Contract Farming in the Mekong Delta's Rice Supply Chain: Insights from an Agent-Based Modeling Study.Hung Khanh Nguyen, Raymond Chiong, Manuel Chica, Richard Middleton and Dung Thi Kim Pham. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, 2019, volume 22, number 3.Free full text?: In this paper, we use agent-based modeling (ABM) to study different obstacles to the expansion of contract rice farming in the context of Mekong Delta (MKD)'s rice supply chain. ABM is a bottom-up approach for modeling the dynamics of interactions among individuals and complex combinations of various factors (e.g., economic, social or environmental). Our agent-based contract farming model focuses on two critical components of contractual relationship, namely financial incentives and trust. We incorporate the actual recurrent fluctuations of spot market prices, which induce both contractor and farmer agents to renege on the agreement. The agent-based model is then used to predict emergent system-wide behaviors and compare counterfactual scenarios of different policies and initiatives on maintaining the contract rice farming scheme. Simulation results firstly show that a fully-equipped contractor who opportunistically exploits a relatively small proportion (less than 10%) of the contracted farmers in most instances can outperform spot market-based contractors in terms of average profit achieved for each crop. Secondly, a committed contractor who offers lower purchasing prices than the most typical rate can obtain better earnings per ton of rice as well as higher profit per crop. However, those contractors in both cases could not enlarge their contract farming scheme, since either farmers' trust toward them decreases gradually or their offers are unable to compete with the benefits from a competitor or the spot market. Thirdly, the results are also in agreement with the existing literature that the contract farming scheme is not a cost-effective method for buyers with limited rice processing capacity, which is a common situation among the contractors in the MKD region. These results yield significant insights into the difficulty in expanding the agricultural contracting program in the MKD's rice supply chain.?Toward Sustainability or Efficiency: The Case of Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Vietnam.Nguyen Hung Anh, Wolfgang Bokelmann, Do Thi Nga and Nguyen Van Minh. Economies, MDPI, 2019.Free full text?: This study attempts to uncover the truth behind an increasing number of smallholder farmers participating in sustainable coffee farming in Vietnam. Using stochastic frontier and cost-benefit analysis, a sample of 316 smallholder farmers in Dak Lak was chosen to analyze the economic impacts of sustainable and conventional coffee farming on farmers’ welfare. In addition, we conducted field observation and key informant interviews to describe several farming practices. The results highlight the fact that farmers’ decisions to participate in sustainable coffee farming are mainly driven by economic benefits. Sustainable farming is more cost-effective and profitable than conventional farming, despite the insignificant difference in production efficiency. Improvement of education, farming knowledge, and collective actions could mitigate negative effects of small-scale production for sustainable coffee farmers. Pesticide management, shade coffee encouragement, and reduction of excessive fertilization, over-irrigation, and unproductive coffee varieties are recommended for sustainable development of the sector.????????????????Back to top?Are Vietnamese farmers able to combat global climate change? A case study on perceptions and attitudes towards sustainable forest management and REDD+ in Central Vietnam.Mucahid Mustafa Bayrak and Lawal Mohammed Marafa. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 2019, pp. 1-17.?Abstract: Global efforts to combat climate change has led to the establishment of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation program (REDD+). This study concerns the implementation of REDD+ among local landscapes and communities in Vietnam. How do affected forest-dependent households perceive their roles in sustainable forest management and REDD+ and how do these perceptions and attitudes influence the (potential) socio-ecological performance of REDD+? Two communes consisting of forest-dependent and indigenous communities in Central Vietnam were selected for this study?the former involved in the UN-REDD program and the latter involved in a REDD+ program of Fauna and Flora International (FFI). Here, we differentiated between a ?do no harm? and pro-carbon (UN-REDD), and pro-poor (FFI-REDD+) approach to REDD+. Employing an applied socio-ecological systems framework, we conducted household surveys (n = 102) and we adopted qualitative research methods. This study identified the importance of traditional ecological knowledge systems in sustainable forest management. While pro-poor REDD+ was more inclusive, both REDD+ programs in our study were implemented in a top down manner. Lastly, households? attitudes and perceptions towards rulemaking, sanctioning, monitoring, cultural capital (beliefs and worldviews) and forest protection technology were identified as (potential) local drivers for successful REDD+ implementation in both communes.?Drivers of forest change in Hoa Binh, Vietnam in the context of integration and globalization.Thi Thuy Hanh Nguyen. Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography, 2019.?Abstract: This study identified spatial patterns of forest change in Hoa Binh, Vietnam, from 2005 to 2017 by integrating Landsat data and Geographic Information System (GIS) data. A Multiple Logistic Regression (MLR) model was adapted to analyse drivers of three types of forest change, including (i) deforestation and forest degradation, (ii) forest regrowth and (iii) plantation expansion. The results reveal that accessibility and local economic development were determinants of forest cover dynamics during the integration and globalization period and that increased population pressure and poverty were no longer the main factors in forest cover transition. Several key policies in this time period positively affected forest cover change, triggering private sector participation in developing the forest economy by including households and small and medium enterprises in particular. The findings of this study can provide learning points for the implementation of sustainable forest management policies in other Vietnamese provinces or in neighbouring countries. This research has provided an effective tool for visualizing human-forest ecosystem interaction, and this tool can be applied to subsequent studies to determine causes of forest cover change at the provincial level in Vietnam.?Forest Ecosystem Services and Local Communities: Towards a Possible Solution to Reduce Forest Dependence in Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam.Nguyen Thi Hong and Izuru Saizen. Human Ecology, 2019.Free full text?: Conservation of protected areas is likely to be challenging in the long term if the dependence of local communities on natural resources is not measured appropriately. We investigated forest ecosystem services utilized by communities living around the Bach Ma National Park, Vietnam, and examined their spatial distributions through the integration of data from interviews, participatory mapping, and GIS analysis. The results suggest that provisioning services are crucial to the local livelihoods, and especially for an ethnic minority group. Many respondents confirmed the collection of specific types of forest foods, materials, and water resources mainly used for family consumption. We conducted spatial pattern analysis with land use, administrative units, terrain conditions, and accessibility, and clarified the characteristics of the spatial distribution of ecosystem service collection in relation to these factors, resource abundance, and forest governance. We propose the introduction of community-based tourism as one means to improve the livelihood opportunities of the ethnic minority groups to reduce their forest dependence.????????????????Back to top?Hydropower dam and hydrological alteration on the Da river in Son La, Vietnam.Chao Thi Yen, Lorenzo Picco, Bui Xuan Dung and Tran Quang Bao. Journal of forestry science and technology, 2019, volume 7.Free full text?: The Da River basin, the largest tributary of the Red River, has experienced a rapid development of hydropower dams, of which Son La hydropower plant is the biggest and the most complex dam project ever built in Vietnam. The study was aimed to examine the hydrological alterations after the construction of Son La hydropower dam in downstream of the Da in pre- and post-dam period. The flow regime information from 1961 to 2016 was obtained from the Vietnam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration. The hydrological alteration was quantified by using IHA (Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration). The Kruskal – Wallis test was applied to examine the changes of hydrological regime between pre- and post- dam period. The results showed that 4 groups of IHA had significant change and one group had no significant difference in preand post-dam period. Particularly, the flow in rainy season decreased between 5% and 43% and increased average 71.6% in dry season in the post-impact period. Minima and maxima of 1-, 3-, 7-, 30-, and 90-days flow had a broad fluctuation with a reduction of mean flow between 37% and 90%, except 30- and 90-day minimum having an upward trend of 6% and 129%, in the order. The low and high pulse count increased 40% and 100% in post-2010, respectively, whereas the low pulse duration decreased 60% in the post-dam period. Fall rate hadgreater fluctuation than rise rate with an increase of 123% compared to the change of +57%, in the order.?A Study of Mangrove Forests in the Khanh Hoa Province of Vietnam.Phan Huan and Nguyen Lan. Lesnoy Zhurnal [Forestry Journal], 2019, volume 3.Free full text?: In the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, mangrove forests grow in the foreshore of the sea coast and in the river mouths. Mangrove forests play an important role in the coastal tropical ecosystem. They protect the coastline from destroying by tides, fix the soil with root systems and prevent its flushing into the sea, preserve the diversity of species of flora and fauna. With the development of industry in the agrarian country mangrove forests began to be harvested intensively. High level of disturbance of mangrove forests is typical for the Khanh Hoa province. The reduction of forest area has led to a deterioration of the ecological situation in the region; a decrease in the number of species of coastal plants and animals increased the amount of salt in the soil. The primary task for forestry specialists is the study of mangrove forests and the development of methods for their regeneration. We have conducted a research on the mangrove forests in the Khanh Hoa province for 2 years. Two experimental areas were investigated in the mangrove forests formed naturally: the Nhaphu (November, 2017) and Dambay (May, 2018) and in artificially created forests in 2007 in other place of Dambay.????????????????Back to top?Evaluation of Land Cover Change and Agricultural Protection Sites: A GIS and Remote Sensing Approach for Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.Mathias Schaefer and Nguyen Xuan Thinh. Heliyon, 2019, volume 5, number 5, p. e01773.Free full text?: Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), economic center and most populous city of Vietnam faces a strong structural change since its market liberalization in the late 1980s. Big challenges occur in the form of uncontrolled urban sprawl due to rapid population growth with encroachment of agricultural land, which leads to environmental and climatic issues like urban heat island effects, air pollution and flooding events. Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide new computer-based technologies for urban planners which can greatly ease the monitoring of agricultural loss as well as improve decision making for future land management. In the first part of this study, land cover change dynamics are thoroughly assessed using moderate and high spatial resolution satellite imagery (Landsat and SPOT) over the period 2010–2017 in 22 districts of HCMC. In the second part, the land cover classification results of 2017 provide the initial map for a GIS-based Multi-Criteria-Decision-Analysis (MCDA) of potential agricultural protection sites. Therefore, criteria of climate adaptation and ecological service are established and embedded in the GIS-compatible Compromise Programming Model (CP). With the use of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) by Thomas L. Saaty and additional expert knowledge, appropriate weighting factors have been affiliated. The results show that agricultural land decreased by more than two thirds in the period considered. However, particularly the western rural districts Bình Chánh and Hóc M?n still offer a great amount of valuable agricultural land suitable for protection. The proposed method can serve as a scientific framework for planning departments of fast growing cities to zone agricultural land for protection on an early planning stage in order to ensure sustainable land use development in the future.?Asian Livestock Industry Leaders’ Perceptions of the Importance of, and Solutions for, Animal Welfare Issues.Michelle Sinclair and Clive J.C. Phillips. Animals, 2019, volume 9, number 6, p. 319.Free full text?: The welfare of farm animals has been the focus of increasing international interest, however, the movement has had little engagement with livestock leaders who are, arguably, the stakeholders in the position most able to make decisions that impact on animal welfare at critical times. Previous studies have drawn attention to the need to engage in constructive collaborations with the livestock industry for the betterment of animal welfare, and to uncover mutual benefits for both stakeholders and proponents of animal welfare with which collaborations can be motivated. This study aimed to continue this need to understand leaders in livestock management, by consulting their opinions as to what constitutes the most critical animal welfare issues during farming and slaughter, and what they see as some of the solutions to begin addressing livestock welfare issues in their country. Seventeen focus group sessions were held with 139 leaders in livestock industries in six diverse countries in Asia, including China, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Bangladesh. Leaders included government representatives, key academics in agriculture, and business managers and leaders within the domestic animal agriculture industries, as relevant to each country. After conducting thematic analysis and applying basic statistical measures, the findings suggest that solutions within the themes of education, training, and awareness are most valued. However, how each of these could be best addressed varied by country. The need for local research and local solutions also contributed to the most frequent opportunities, as did the requirement for prescriptive and consistent standards and expectations. A ranking of animal welfare issues is presented, as is a selection of suggested animal welfare initiatives resulting from the findings of this study.????????????????Back to top?Assessing antimicrobial misuse in small-scale chicken farms in Vietnam from an observational study.Marc Choisy, Nguyen Van Cuong, Truong Dinh Bao, Bach Tuan Kiet, Bo Ve Hien and others. BMC Veterinary Research, 2019, volume 15, number 1, p. 206.Free full text?: BACKGROUND: Antimicrobials are used by poultry farmers in Vietnam as a tool to treat and prevent infectious diseases. We aimed to determine the fraction of disease episodes likely to remain untreated due to the administration of antimicrobials on non-susceptible pathogens in chicken flocks in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Weekly data on antimicrobial use and clinical signs were collected from 88 randomly chosen chicken flocks over 124 full production cycles (i.e. time between restocking flocks with day-old chicks and sale for slaughter). A na?ve Bayes model was trained to infer the probabilities of disease episodes having been caused by each of 24 pathogens, given the observed clinical sign profile, and expert knowledge on their relative incidence. RESULTS: A total of 224 disease episodes were observed, of which 44.8% were attributed to viruses (95% CI 31.1-58.4%), 54.6% (CI 40.4-68.7%) to bacteria, and 0.6% (CI 0-1.7%) to a protozoan (Eimeria spp.). Antimicrobials were more frequently administered on weeks with disease than on weeks without disease (43.3% vs. 17.8%; p <?0.001). A median of 2 [IQR 0-4] antimicrobials were used by episode. The choice of specific antimicrobials was independent on whether the flocks had disease clinical signs or not. Antimicrobials were not used in 30.3% of the episodes. The overall probability that episodes were not effectively treated was 74.2, and 53.7% when discounting cases where the inferred aetiology is viral. Considering only episodes where antimicrobials were given, these probabilities were 57.4 and 23.8% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights untargeted use of antimicrobials on small-scale Vietnamese chicken farms, as well as the limitations of antimicrobials as effective tools to control infectious diseases.?Diversity and sustainability of pig farm types in the northern mountains of Vietnam.Le Thi Thanh Huyen, G. Duteurtre, S. Cournut, S. Messad and N. Hostiou. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 2019.?Abstract: Pig farming systems in Vietnam are very diverse but little is known about this diversity. In particular, the different livestock farming systems currently in operation do not have the same capacity to be sustainable. The study aims to categorize farming systems involving pig production and investigate their sustainability. Data were collected from 160 family pig farms and 2 large-scale farms in Mai Son district of Son La province (northwest of Vietnam) using stratified random sampling. The multiple factor analysis method was used to identify different farms and to characterize each type with economic, social, and environmental indicators. The results highlighted four different farm types. Type 1 contained smallholder farms with diversified farm activities. They were mainly farmed by ethnic minorities located in the intermediate highland. They had low labor productivity and relied mainly on crop farming. Pig production was characterized by a low level of economic and social sustainability. Type 2 farms had comparatively less land and crops than other types. They were more specialized in livestock production, had medium-size pig herds, and were engaged in off-farm jobs. They were less dependent on credit or location and performed better with regard to environmental issues than larger farm types. Type 3 was specialized farms with large pig herds. They seemed more sustainable in economic and social components than the other types, but their environmental sustainability was questionable. Type 4 contained large mixed crop-livestock farms. They obtained high income but were more dependent on credit than the other types. In the future, in addition to focusing on large-scale specialized farms, policies should also consider small-scale and diversified farms because of their role in the sustainable development of national pig production.????????????????Back to top?Motivations for Industry Stakeholders in China, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to Improve Livestock Welfare.Michelle Sinclair, Zulkifli Idrus, Duong van Nhiem, Suporn Katawatin, Brendon Todd and others. Animals, 2019, volume 9, number 7, p. 416.Free full text?: Understanding what might motivate livestock stakeholders to improve animal welfare is useful information when developing initiatives that benefit from stakeholder engagement. This study was designed to assess the strength of motivating drivers in the development of attitudes to animal welfare, and the factors that impacted their ability to improve animal welfare. During a series of qualitative focus group sessions with livestock leaders across the same countries (Malaysia, China, Vietnam and Thailand), the current study presented livestock leaders (n = 139) with the most significant results in their country, and collected data pertaining to the meaning and applicability of these results. This data was then subject to thematic analysis to identify salient and repeated motivating factors and meanings. This process revealed a complex picture of relationships between motivators and the contexts that drive them. Figures are presented to begin illustrating these relationships. Some strong motivators were uncovered that were previously rated low in the survey (i.e., financial benefit) or not included at all (e.g., food safety). This paper also presents the opportunity to better understand the strength and relationship of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational forces behind animal welfare improvement.?Poultry population dynamics and mortality risks in smallholder farms of the Mekong river delta region.Alexis Delabouglise, Benjamin Nguyen-Van-Yen, Nguyen Thi Le Thanh, Huynh Thi Ai Xuyen, Phung Ngoc Tuyet and others. BMC Veterinary Research, 2019, volume 15, number 1, p. 205.Free full text?: BACKGROUND: Poultry farming is widely practiced by rural households in Vietnam and the vast majority of domestic birds are kept on small household farms. However, smallholder poultry production is constrained by several issues such as infectious diseases, including avian influenza viruses whose circulation remains a threat to public health. This observational study describes the demographic structure and dynamics of small-scale poultry farms of the Mekong river delta region. METHOD: Fifty three farms were monitored over a 20-month period, with farm sizes, species, age, arrival/departure of poultry, and farm management practices recorded monthly. RESULTS: Median flock population sizes were 16 for chickens (IQR: 10-40), 32 for ducks (IQR: 18-101) and 11 for Muscovy ducks (IQR: 7-18); farm size distributions for the three species were heavily right-skewed. Muscovy ducks were kept for long periods and outdoors, while chickens and ducks were farmed indoors or in pens. Ducks had a markedly higher removal rate (broilers: 0.14/week; layer/breeders: 0.05/week) than chickens and Muscovy ducks (broilers: 0.07/week; layer/breeders: 0.01-0.02/week) and a higher degree of specialization resulting in a substantially shorter life span. The rate of mortality due to disease did not differ much among species, with birds being less likely to die from disease at older ages, but frequency of disease symptoms differed by species. Time series of disease-associated mortality were correlated with population size for Muscovy ducks (Kendall's coefficient τ?=?0.49, p-value <?0.01) and with frequency of outdoor grazing for ducks (τ?=?0.33, p-value?=?0.05). CONCLUSION: The study highlights some challenges to disease control in small-scale multispecies poultry farms. The rate of interspecific contact and overlap between flocks of different ages is high, making small-scale farms a suitable environment for pathogens circulation. Muscovy ducks are farmed outdoors with little investment in biosecurity and few inter-farm movements. Ducks and chickens are more at-risk of introduction of pathogens through movements of birds from one farm to another. Ducks are farmed in large flocks with high turnover and, as a result, are more vulnerable to disease spread and require a higher vaccination coverage to maintain herd immunity.????????????????Back to top?Calculating the carbon footprint of rice production in Vietnam and formulating a proposal for mitigation options.Dao Minh Trang, Huynh Thi Lan Huong and Mai Van Trinh. Vietnam Journal of Science, Technology and Engineering, 2019, volume 61, number 2.Free full text?: This study aims to develop a method for calculating the carbon footprint of rice during its life cycle by combining Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the 2006 Guideline of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (GL 2006) for paddy rice grown in Phu Luong commune, Dong Hung district, Thai Binh province, Vietnam. In the course of the study, a LCA survey that included activities in the upstream processes, the agricultural process, and the post-farm stage was conducted based on interviews with three groups of 30 farmer households that apply the conventional practice of rice production, the system of rice intensification (SRI), or the wide-narrow row method. These cultivation practices are applied for both the winterspring crop and summer-autumn crop seasons. The emissions were? calculated by multiplying the activity data by the default emission factors in GL 2006 or in other relevant studies. The emission factors of methane (CH4) from rice cultivation and nitrous oxide (N2O) from agricultural soil were adjusted using actual measurement results from the Institute of Agricultural Environment (IAE) in 2016. The results of the calculations show that the main sources of the emissions that constitute the carbon footprint of rice include: (i) CH4 emissions from rice cultivation; (ii) electricity generation for irrigation; (iii) diesel combustion for the operation of agricultural machinery, and (iv) fertiliser production. Emissions from other activities were negligible. The carbon footprint of spring rice is 2.69 kgCO2e/kg of rice grown using the conventional paddy cultivation method, 2.35 kgCO2e/kg for rice grown using the SRI method, and 2.29 kgCO2e/kg for rice grown using the wide-narrow row method. In summer, the carbon footprint for rice grown using the conventional method is 3.72 kgCO2e/kg of rice, 3.56 kgCO2e/kg of rice using SRI, and 3.3 kgCO2e/kg of rice using the wide-narrow row method. Three mitigation options are proposed: integrated crop management for rice; alternate wetting and drying; and the substitution of urea fertiliser (CO(NH2) 2) with ammonium sulphate ((NH4)2SO4).?Drought and conflicts at the local level: Establishing a water sharing mechanism for the summer-autumn rice production in Central Vietnam.Chuong Huynh Van, Catharien Terwisscha van Scheltinga, Ty Pham Huu, Non Duong Quoc, Phuong Tran Thi and others. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 2019.Free full text?: In recent years, water for agricultural production gradually became a significant challenge in the context of climate change in Vietnam. Sustainable solutions are required, which consider the use of resources for both human needs and ecology, and that account for the equitable distribution and the livelihood of the farmers now and in the future. In particular, the farmers in the province of Quang Nam facing water shortage in the cultivation of paddy in the summer-autumn season. Conflicts arise regarding the sharing of the water between the farmers, the drinking water company and the hydropower company. In the context of climate change, the water shortage is expected to increase in the future. The article presents the results of participatory action research (PAR) approach to develop a local level mechanism for water sharing, in which stakeholders actively participated. Water sharing mechanism was developed, envisioning a sustainable solution for inclusive water sharing. The mechanism was successfully implemented in two cases, one at commune level (Tho stream) and one at the district level (Mo stream). The participatory approach proved to be successful in setting up a broadly acceptable mechanism that will need to be further incorporated in the institutional set-up.????????????????Back to top?Regional Food Reserve Mechanisms: The Case of ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve.Paul S. Teng and Bernice Anne C. Darvin. in: FOOD RESERVES: A Comparative Study on Food Reserve Management and Policies in Southeast Asia, SEARCA College, 2019.Free full text?: Food availability in the context of food security has been a longstanding topic. For Asia, where most of the world’s population resides, it is the undeniable responsibility of governments to assure sufficient food supply. However, being able to continually feed their burgeoning populace is a perpetual challenge for governments. Thus, ensuring a steady supply of food has been a common component of many food policies across the region. --- A popular choice among policymakers is food stockpiling. This type of food policy has been adopted even as far back as the time of the World Wars (Caballero-Anthony et al. 2015). Maintaining food reserves is viewed as a practical and forward-looking strategy for governments in dealing with food security issues. It has been a prevalent practice in Asia, which does not only suffer from chronic hunger, but is also caught in an era when natural disasters and calamities have become stronger and frequent. Moreover, with widespread globalization, the idea of forming a regional food reserve can be viewed as a way to promote cooperation and assistance among the developing countries in the region (Da?o and Peria 2006). --- When the Food Price Crisis hit Asia in 2007–2008, prices skyrocketed, primarily for rice, recording as high as 149 percent inflation during the first quarter of 2008. This was triggered by the implementation of stringent export restrictions by India and Vietnam, combined with the consequential panicbuying of rice-importing countries such as the Philippines. The crisis drove? almost a billion people in Asia into poverty and raised alarming issues about food security (Wailes et al. 2012).?Empirical analysis on influencing factors of quality safety for cross-border agricultural products - a case study on cross-border agricultural products in Yunnan, China and Vietnam.YiWei Zhang, LinHong Li and QiuMei Zeng. Journal of Southern Agriculture, 2019, volume 50, number 4, pp. 898-904.?Abstract: Objective: The influencing factors of the quality safety of cross-border agricultural products in Yunnan, China and Vietnam were analyzed to provide theoretical basis for increasing the quality safety of cross-border agricultural products. Method: Questionnaire survey was conducted on the staff engaged in the cross-border agricultural products trade in Yunnan, China and Vietnam. Reliability and validity analysis were conducted through statistical software, and relevant literature was reviewed. Five hypotheses of agricultural product quality safety were proposed. Structural equation model was established by AMOS. The quality and safety measurement index system for agricultural products covering production safety, circulation safety, processing safety, market environment and border environment was established. Result: Cross-border agricultural products were affected by the production, processing, circulation, market and border environment of agricultural products, but the degree of impact varied. Among them, the circulation, production and border environment of agricultural products had the largest impact on cross-border agricultural products, while the market environment and agricultural products processing had small impact on the cross-border agricultural products of Yunnan, China and Vietnam. Suggestion: The following suggestion are proposed: improving the quality of agricultural products from the source of production and developing characteristic agriculture of plateau; actively responding to changes in the market environment, paying attention to changes in technical indicators of agricultural products; simplifying customs clearance process and improve circulation efficiency; improving the quality certification system of agricultural products; establishing a traceability system for agricultural products.????????????????Back to top?ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT?Shocks, economic policy and technology choice of heterogeneous producers.Michael Hubler and Gregor Schwerhoff, 2019.?Abstract: This article introduces a new Melitz-type model of heterogeneous producers with decreasing returns to scale and different productivities. Different to previous models, it describes smallholder producers in rural areas of developing countries in the context of environment and development economics. The model enables a socially sensitive policy analysis considering poverty and distributional effects. In this model, the production input causes a negative environmental externality. External shocks, e.g., caused by climate change, and economic policies affect the producers’ endogenous choice between market entry or exit and between simple or advanced technology. In the first step, various shocks and policies are analyzed theoretically. A novel type of the rebound effect (Jevons paradox) is identified for the production input that occurs when market entry is incentivized by productivity improvements. In the second step, the model is calibrated by applying it to coffee production in rural Vietnam. The simulation results show that secondary effects of the shocks, such as employment effects, can be substantially larger than the original impact. The support of market entry or of the advanced technology creates adverse distributional effects.?A Study on the Impact of South Korea's Official Developmental Assistance Policy toward Vietnam.Seungho Jeong. Modern Economy, 2018, volume 9, number 8.?Abstract: The purpose of this research paper is to study and analyze the Official Development Assistance (ODA) policy of South Korea toward Vietnam. The research methodology used was qualitative and relied on processed information from secondary sources. It is noted that South Korea has been a major foreign aid partner of Vietnam since it became a donor member of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Currently, South Korea preferentially gives Vietnam the largest share of its donor funds in the form of concessional loans and grants. Also found in this investigation is that the main determinant of this sizable ODA is in the form of commercial opportunities available in the recipient country and the rich diplomatic relations shared by the two countries. South Korea has realized commercial benefits such as an expanded market for exports, employment opportunities for its citizens, and foreign direct investment (FDI) chances in Vietnam as a result of this ODA volume. On the other hand, Vietnam has used money received to immensely transform its economy. In conclusion, the ODA policy of South Korea toward Vietnam has been found to be largely beneficial for both countries.?The new politics of debt in the transition economy of Vietnam.Hong-Kong T. Nguyen, Viet-Ha T. Nguyen, Thu-Trang Vuong, Manh-Tung Ho and Quan-Hoang Vuong. Austrian journal of South-East Asian studies, 2019, volume 12, number 1.Free full text?: This study reviews the rising household debt and nonfinancial corporation debt in Vietnam, a socialist-oriented, lower middle-income emerging economy. Vietnam has made huge strides in economic growth within three decades of reforms, lifting millions of people out of poverty thanks to better access to credit. At the same time, there are lending and borrowing practices that signal troubles ahead. Based on a thorough examination of the theoretical literature on indebtedness, the study sets out to identify the drivers of borrowing and over-borrowing in Vietnam in recent years. Particularly, the abundant financial and physical resources have given rise to consumerism and the boom of the super-rich. These are two of the four factors that have shifted Vietnamese culture from one that traditionally condemned debt as a vice to one that now tolerates indebtedness. The other two factors can be found at the corporate level where there is an over-reliance on debt financing and rampant rent-seeking. Here, a kind of ‘resource curse’ threatens sustainable corporate growth – businesses rely too much on borrowing to fuel their operations, but in fact are overlooking the innovation factor. The new politics of debt, we suggest, have created a toxically pro-consumption, debt-tolerant society.????????????????Back to top?The impact of socio-economic factors and regional differences on entrepreneurial activities in Vietnam.Eren Ozgen and Barbara Minsky. Journal of International Business Disciplines, 2019, volume 14, number 1.?Abstract: To date there are limited studies on how special contextual factors in the external environment and how regional variety may trigger firms' entrepreneurial activities in emerging economies. Vietnam is an emerging economy and the Swiss Development Cooperation in Vietnam 2017-2020 reports that further research is required to underpin and improve county specific issues in handling entrepreneurial activities in Vietnam. To address this gap this paper aims to theoretically address the question of how socio-economic factors and regional differences may impact innovation and entrepreneurial activities in Vietnam. Referring to the German School of Thought and partly, the dynamic capabilities theory, this paper develops propositions that could be foundations for further studies in the development of region-specific entrepreneurial policy and programs, as well as future entrepreneurship studies.?The Disparity of Revenue and Expenditure among Subnational Governments in Vietnam.Duc Hong Vo, Thuan Nguyen, Dao Thi-Thieu Ha and Ngoc Phu Tran. Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, 2019, pp. 1-12.?Abstract: Fiscal decentralization has attracted attention from government, academic studies, and international institutions with the aims of enhancing economic growth in recent years. One of the difficult issues is to measure satisfactorily the degree of fiscal decentralization across countries. The fiscal decentralisation index, the first of its kind, was recently developed in 2010. This newly developed index accounts for both fiscal autonomy and fiscal importance of subnational governments. We argue that while Vo?s index is an advance on current practice, it is still not perfect as it assumes there is no dispersion of revenue and expenditure across regions. In response to this weakness, fiscal entropy and fiscal inequality measures are developed using information theory. It is shown how fiscal inequality can be decomposed regionally and hierarchically. These ideas are illustrated with an emerging country data?Vietnam?pertaining to the national, provincial, and local levels of governments.?Vietnam and the CPTPP: Achievements and Challenges.Nguyen Huy Hoang and Truong Quang Hoan. Perspective (ISEAS), 2019, volume 41.Free full text?: The CPTPP, a high-standard regional economic agreement which Vietnam has ratified, is expected to bring the country much benefit but the challenges it has to grapple with are significant. --- Given its unique conditions, Vietnam could be a good example of how a developing Asian country and one with a dominant state-owned sector can successfully pursue economic integration via the CPTPP. --- Vietnam’s contribution towards the successful conclusion of the CPTPP was evidently demonstrated during APEC 2017 held in Da Nang City. --- To meet the requirements of the CPTPP, Vietnam will need to significantly upgrade its industrial production structure and reform its economic institutions, domestic regulations and the SOE sector.????????????????Back to top?EDUCATION?Psychometric examination of the academic motivation scale using a Vietnamese university student sample.Lan Luong, Arthur Poropat, Helen Klieve and Kate Thompson. International Journal of Quantitative Research in Education, 2019, volume 4, number 4.?Abstract: Massification of higher education in Vietnam has brought about both achievements and various issues. Efforts have been made to improve the quality of teaching and learning in higher education, but very little attention has been paid to the issue of student motivation. This study aims to contribute to this area of knowledge by testing the applicability of the academic motivation scale (AMS) in assessing Vietnamese university students' motivation. This was achieved via evaluation of the scale's psychometric properties using data obtained from 648 first year students from a high-ranking university. Using a different approach in model testing, results indicated that the revised seven factor AMS with 23 items best fitted the data. All subscales had satisfactory reliabilities. Thus, the revised AMS can be used to study Vietnamese university students' motivation.?Results of Educational Quality Accreditation and Major Problems of 17 Private Higher Education Instituitions.Dao Thi Hoa, Dang Ung Van, Nguyen Thi Le Xuan and Nguyen Thi Thuong. VNU Journal of Science: Education Research, 2019, volume 35, number 2.Free full text?: This paper outlines the results of external assessment and the accreditation of educational quality of 17 non-state universities according to the Consolidated Document No. 06/2014 / VBHN-BGD & DT, implemented by 4 Educational Quality Centers and published the Resolution on social networks. The article also compares main reasons that the criteria have not been achieved in the non-public universities and some recommendations. Due to the limited framework of the article, we only focus on presenting criteria that more than 20% of non-state institutions have not met the requirements. In addition, some criteria with higher index than public schools are also analyzed here.?Mobile learning for high-school mathematics as a path to better sustainability in a fast-changing society: an exploratory study from Vietnam.Trinh Thao, Lai Dao Thai, Hai Thanh, Trung Tran, Le Thi Tuyet Trinh and others. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 2019, volume 17, number 2.Free full text?: The use of mobile learning, or M-learning, has been increasingly appreciated by educators due to its sustainability potential in different facets such as finance (i.e., affordable cost) and flexibility (i.e., time and pace of learning). However, it may not be effective in all situations. This study explored the feasibility of using M-learning for students’ self-study of mathematics in the context of Vietnamese high schools. Using 542 student and 40 teacher responses to two surveys, the study showed that the use of M-learning might not be feasible for students’ self-study of mathematics due to difficulties related to accessing mathematics websites, the quality of mathematics website content, students’ low level of self-learning ability and learning disengagement. This study suggests that the use of M-learning may contribute to the sustainability of education; adopting it should be based on a critical examination of contextual factors, especially students’ self-learning ability and engagement. M-learning can be promising and beneficial to students due to its capability to equip students to prepare for the fast-changing and technological-driven world. Educators have increasingly appreciated the use of M-learning, because it becomes more affordable and flexible. Nonetheless, there is still a question about near-future adoptions of M-learning due to unavailability of and inaccessibility to quality contents from trusted maths websites. The propensity of student engagements in M-learning is also an important issue for future research.????????????????Back to top?ENVIRONMENT?Participation patrolling efforts by local people: Case of Nam Tien forest station in Pu Hu Nature Reserve, Vietnam.L. K. Dong, S. Sinutok, P. Manop and K. Techato. 2019 3rd International Conference on Energy and Environmental Science, 2019.Free full text?: Protected areas, nature reserves and national parks in Vietnam, has considered foot patrols under traditional law enforcement with local forest guard (LFG). The participant between LFG and rangers in protected areas has been applied as commons way of patrolling on forest protection. However, very few studies have considered the contribution of LFG performance of patrolling activity with GPS-based monitoring system from Nam Tien forest station (FS), Pu Hu nature reserve (NR). Through the contribution of the monthly report was collected and the reliability of patrol data was analyzed in the central office. This study explores that the number of LFG was affected by the distance and patrol hours in the working field (P < 0.01). It could also be reducing the rangers‘ law enforcement if the limitation of LHG‘s performance was considerably significant. Admittedly, the illegal activity might be declined by ranger‘s efforts in term of patrolling activity. This study highlights the importance of LFG performance for protected area management was related to the efficacy of conservation targets.?Researching the Variation of Typhoon Intensities Under Climate Change in Vietnam: A Case Study of Typhoon Lekima, 2007.Tran Quoc Lap. Hydrology, 2019.Free full text?: Most of the typhoons that impact coastal regions of Vietnam occur from the north to the central part, between June and November. As a result of global warming, typhoon intensities are expected to increase. Therefore, an assessment of various typhoon strengths is essential. In this study, Typhoon Lekima, which hit Vietnam in 2007, was simulated by weather research and forecast models, using ensemble simulation methodology. Reproductive results of the typhoon intensity are similar to actual estimated values from the Japan Meteorological Agency. Also, the variation of typhoon intensities and heavy rainfall in future climate scenarios was investigated using numerical simulations based on pseudo global warming conditions, constructed using fifth-phase results of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project multi-model global warming experiments. Simulation results of five Pseudo Global Warming (PGW_FF) models indicate that intensities of the typhoon will be magnified in future climate. The minimum sea level pressure of typhoons similar to Typhoon Lekima in the future will increase from 8 hPa to 9 hPa, and the spatial distribution of maximum wind speed and tracked direction will move towards the southern regions. Total precipitation will significantly increase for a maximum of six hours, and the spatial distribution of heavy rain caused by typhoons will shift from the north to the southwest of Vietnam. In the future, simulated results showed that global warming correlates strongly with a significant increase in typhoon intensity and heavy rain.????????????????Back to top?Changes in mangrove vegetation, aquaculture and paddy cultivation in the Mekong Delta: A study from Ben Tre Province, southern Vietnam.Bijeesh Kozhikkodan Veettil, Ngo Xuan Quang and Ngo Thi Thu Trang. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 2019, volume 226, p. 106273.?Abstract: In this paper, we analyzed the changes in mangrove forests along the coastal districts of Ben Tre Province in Mekong Delta, in southern Vietnam from 1998 to 2015 using Landsat image series (TM and OLI) using vegetation and water indices, and field data. Decadal changes in aquaculture ponds and area of rice crops were also estimated using satellite and field data in order to understand the influence of intensive aquaculture on mangrove deforestation and agriculture in this region. Furthermore, predictions have been made on the changes in mangrove forests, rice crops and aquaculture ponds in case of 1?m and 2?m sea level rise. About 52.5% of the mangrove forests were cleared between 1998 and 2015 for aquaculture and infrastructure developments in Ben Tre during the study period. Thanh Phu District showed highest loss of mangrove forests (59.3%) and increase in the area covered by aquaculture ponds (120%) during this period. Overall reduction in the rice crops areas in Ben Tre was 23.4% whereas this was 31.5% in the coastal districts due to the conversion of freshwater rice fields into brackish shrimp ponds. It is estimated that a 1?m rise in the current sea level would clear 45.2% of the remaining mangrove forests, 60.9% of the current areas planted with rice, 65% of the aquaculture ponds and 46% of the entire province would be under the water. This study shows a clear picture of the coastal environmental changes going on in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.?Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution to Soil Environment. A Case Study: Kieu Ky Landfill—Hanoi, Vietnam.Ha Ngoc Hoang and Thai Thi Kim Nguyen. Sustainable Waste Management: Policies and Case Studies, Springer Singapore, Singapore, 2020.?Abstract: Leachate is the cause of heavy metal pollution at landfill environment. This contamination has the potential to have a significant impact on the soil and groundwater. This study was conducted to determine the concentration of heavy metal contamination in landfill environment. Soil samples were taken at various locations near the closure cell to determine heavy metal contamination by distance and depth. Analysis of heavy metal content was conducted by ICP-MS. Eight parameters of heavy metals were identified as indicators for pollution namely Cd, As, Hg, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn and Pb. Heavy metal content is highest on the surface and decreases with depth. The heavy metal concentration is highest at nearest the cell. Among the elements at the highest values were arsenic (33 mg/kg) and chromium (293 mg/kg) and exceeded the QCVN 03-MT: 2015/BTNMT (National technical regulation on the allowable limits of heavy metals in the soils). Therefore, it is very crucial that necessary proper remediation or precautionary measure in order to prevent risks to human and the environment.File Attachments]|.?Development of the specific emission factors for buses in Hanoi, Vietnam.Trung-Dung Nghiem, Yen-Lien T. Nguyen, Anh-Tuan Le, Ngoc-Dung Bui and Huu-Tuyen Pham. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2019.?Abstract: This paper develops the specific emission factors for buses in the real-world traffic conditions in the inner city of Hanoi, Vietnam. An engine stationary cycle consisting of 14 modes was developed based on the typical driving cycle of Hanoi buses which had been constructed with the application of Markov chain theory. This is the first engine stationary emissions test cycle constructed for heavy-duty engine in Vietnam. Based on this cycle, the country-specific emission factors (CSEFs) of air pollutants including CO, HC, NOx, CO2, and PM for buses in Hanoi have been developed using the emission measurements on the engine test bed. It is found that almost all developed emission factors are higher than those derived from the emission measurements to the ECE R49 on the same engine. These emission factors, therefore, can be used to improve the quality of the emission inventory of buses in Hanoi.????????????????Back to top?GOVERNANCE?Deconstructing the multi-layered nature of citizen participation in Vietnam: conceptual connotations, discourses of international development, and the country’s institutional context.Seohee Kwak. Asian Journal of Political Science, 2019, pp. 1-15.?Abstract: Citizen participation is challenging to define in terms of meaning and application. This article begins with setting out the multi-dimensional nature of citizen participation in development. Through conceptual and contextual explorations, this article deconstructs the layers in the following ways: First, citizen participation is embedded with several conceptual connotations, therefore it is manifested to varying degrees and in different scopes of opportunity for citizens to affect policy decisions. Varieties of participation become more diverse when it comes to the power dynamics of different stakeholders, ranging from the government to citizens. Furthermore, its substantive presentation is intimately linked with the variables of citizen empowerment and government responsiveness. The second layer concerns the participatory development approaches of external development agencies. This article articulates how development discourses have integrated and developed the concept of participation, exploring the trajectory and critical concerns raised. The final layer concerns context, particularly Vietnam?s legal and policy frameworks, which explores consistencies and discrepancies between institutional settings and the presentation of citizen participation.?Cyber Security : Will There Be One ASEAN Voice?Shashi Jayakumar. RSIS Commentaries Commentaries No. 106, 2019.Free full text?: How far has ASEAN come in its cyber journey? What is the likelihood that it can begin to speak with one voice on cyber issues and what needs to be done before some coherence in an ASEAN approach to the norms debate can be expected?????????????????Back to top?HEALTH CARE?Access to health care for migrants in the Greater Mekong Subregion: policies and legal frameworks and their impact on malaria control in the context of malaria elimination.Montira Inkochasan, Deyer Gopinath, Estefania Vicario, Aimee Lee and Patrick Duigan. WHO South-East Asia Journal of Public Health, 2019, volume 8, number 1, pp. 26-34.Free full text?: The launch of the <i>Global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration</i> in December 2018 marked the first-ever United Nations global agreement on a common approach to international migration in all its dimensions. The global compact aims to reduce the risks and vulnerabilities migrants face at different stages of migration, by respecting, protecting and fulfilling their human rights and providing them with care and assistance. A key example of the intersection of the right to health and migration is seen in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) &#8211; comprising Cambodia, Lao People&#8217;s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, the People&#8217;s Republic of China (Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Thailand and Viet Nam. The GMS has a highly dynamic and complex pattern of fluctuating migration, and population mobility has been identified as an important concern in the GMS, since five of the six GMS countries are endemic for malaria. Based on the concept of universal health coverage, and as endorsed by the 61st World Health Assembly in 2008, migrants, independently of their legal status, should be included in national health schemes. This paper summarizes work done to understand and address the legal obstacles that migrants face in accessing health services in the GMS countries, and the impact that these obstacles have in relation to elimination of malaria and containment of artemisinin resistance. Despite efforts being made towards achieving universal health coverage in all the GMS countries, no country has current health and social protection regulations to ensure migrants&#8217; access to health services, although in Thailand documented and undocumented migrants can opt for acquiring health insurance. Additionally, there is a lack of migrant-inclusive legislation in GMS countries, since barriers to accessing health services for migrants &#8211; such as language and/or socioeconomic factors &#8211; have been scarcely considered. Advocacy to promote legislative approaches that include migrants&#8217; health needs has been made at global and regional levels, to overcome these barriers. Assistance is available to Member States for reviewing and adopting migrant-friendly policies and legal frameworks that promote rather than hinder migrants&#8217; and mobile populations&#8217; access to health services.?Avian influenza in the Greater Mekong Subregion, 2003–2018.Annika Suttie, Erik A. Karlsson, Yi-Mo Deng, Aeron C. Hurt, Andrew R. Greenhill and others. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 2019, p. 103920.?Abstract: The persistent circulation of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) is an ongoing problem for many countries in South East Asia, causing large economic losses to both the agricultural and health sectors. This review analyses AIV diversity, evolution and the risk of AIV emergence in humans in countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS): Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam (excluding China). The analysis was based on AIV sequencing data, serological studies, published journal articles and AIV outbreak reports available from January 2003 to December 2018. All countries of the GMS have suffered losses due repeated outbreaks of highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 that has also caused human cases in all GMS countries. In Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam AIV outbreaks in domestic poultry have also been caused by clade 2.3.4.4 H5N6. A diverse range of low pathogenic AIVs (H1-H12) have been detected in poultry and wild bird species, though surveillance for and characterization of these subtypes is limited. Subtype H3, H4, H6 and H11 viruses have been detected over prolonged periods; whilst H1, H2, H7, H8, H10 and H12 viruses have only been detected transiently. H9 AIVs circulate endemically in Cambodia and Vietnam with seroprevalence data indicating human exposure to H9 AIVs in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. As surveillance studies focus heavily on the detection of H5 AIVs in domestic poultry further research is needed to understand the true level of AIV diversity and the risk AIVs pose to humans in the GMS.????????????????Back to top?Spatio-temporal distribution of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus subtype H5N1 in Vietnam, 2015– 2018.Leo Loth, Long Thanh Pham and Mark Anthony Stevenson. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 2019.?Abstract: Despite strong commitments of the central and provincial veterinary authorities in Vietnam to control highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (HPAI-H5N1) in poultry and to diminish the risk of human infection, outbreaks continue to occur in poultry. This study describes the spatio-temporal distribution of HPAI-H5N1 outbreaks in Vietnam for the period December 2014?April 2018 using the space-time K-function and the space-time scan statistic. The space-time K-function analyses showed statistically significant spatio-temporal clustering of HPAI-H5N1 outbreaks in poultry during the study period of up to 50 days and 60 kilometres. The space-time scan statistic test identified three statistically significant space-time clusters of HPAI-H5N1 in the south of the country where the incidence of HPAI-H5N1 outbreaks was greater than that expected if outbreaks were randomly distributed in space and time. The analyses indicated shortfalls in the effectiveness of control measures used to control HPAI-H5N1 throughout the study period. Development of a better understanding of the relative impact of HPAI-H5N1 control measures (depopulation of infected flocks, vaccination, movement restrictions) on space-time interaction would allow animal health authorities to focus their efforts on control measures shown to have the greatest relative effect.?Early Essential Newborn Care Is Associated With Reduced Adverse Neonatal Outcomes in a Tertiary Hospital in Da?Nang, Viet Nam: A Pre- Post- Intervention Study.Hoang Thi Tran, Priya Mannava, John C S Murray, Phuong Thi Thu Nguyen, Le Thi Mong Tuyen and others. EClinicalMedicine, 2018, volume 6, pp. 51-58.Free full text?: Background: To accelerate reductions in neonatal mortality, Viet Nam rolled out early essential newborn care (EENC) using clinical coaching, quality improvement assessments in hospitals, and updated protocols. Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children, a tertiary referral hospital in central Viet Nam, compared outcomes pre- and post-EENC introduction. Methods: Records of live births and NICU admissions were reviewed pre- (November 2013-October 2014) and post- (November 2014-October 2015) EENC implementation. Delivery room practices, NICU admissions and adverse outcomes on NICU admission were compared using descriptive statistics. Findings: A total of 13,201 live births were delivered pre- and 14,180 live births post-EENC introduction. Post-EENC, delivery practice scores, rates of early and prolonged skin-to-skin contact and early breastfeeding rose significantly. There was a significant reduction in risk of NICU admissions (relative risk [RR] 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64-0.71; p<0.0001), hypothermia on NICU admission (RR 0.72; 95% CI 0.65-0.81, p<0.0001) and sepsis (RR 0.28; 95% CI 0.23-0.35, p<0.0001). Exclusive breastfeeding rates in NICU increased from 49% to 88% (p<0.0001) and of kangaroo mother care (KMC) from 52% to 67% (p<0.0001). Reduced formula use resulted in decreased monthly costs. Interpretation: EENC introduction, including staff coaching, quality improvement assessments and changes in hospital protocols and environments, were associated with improved clinical practices, reduced NICU admissions, admissions with hypothermia and sepsis and increased rates of exclusive breastfeeding and KMC in the NICU. Funding: Data collection was funded by the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office and Newborns Vietnam. Outstanding Questions: *What is the impact of the package of early essential newborn care interventions on newborn mortality?*What are the total direct and indirect cost savings of early essential newborn care implementation?*What is the cost effectiveness of kangaroo mother care for preterm and low birth weight babies?*What strategies can help reduce unnecessary cesarean sections in hospitals?????????????????Back to top?Effects of Parent-Child Relationships on Child Marriage of Girls in Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam: Evidence From a Prospective Cohort.Nandita Bhan, Leslie Gautsch, Lotus McDougal, Charlotte Lapsansky, Rafael Obregon and others. Journal of Adolescent Health, 2019.Free full text?: Purpose: Parental influence over early marriage of girls is well-documented in qualitative research, but little quantitative work in this area has been conducted. This study assesses the effects of the parent–child relationship in early adolescence (aged 12 years) on early marriage of girls. --- Methods: We analyzed survey data from a multicountry prospective cohort of girls (n = 1,648) followed over four rounds from age 8 to 19 years (2002–2013), as part of the Young Lives study in India, Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Peru. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed the effects of parent–child communication and parent–child relationship quality, as reported when girls were aged 12 years on child and early marriage (married <16 years, married 16–17 years, married 18–19 years, unmarried). Covariates were wealth, rural/urban residence, maternal education, parents' value of education, early menarche, and country. --- Results: One in five girls (18.04%) reported marriage before 18 years of age, and 8.1% reported marrying before 16 years (8.3% and 13.7% in India and Ethiopia). Multinomial regression found that girls reporting good parent–child communication and high parent–child relationship quality at age 12 years were significantly less likely to marry before age 16 years (moderate relationship quality, adjusted relative risk ratio: .23, 95% confidence interval: .07–.72; high relationship quality, adjusted relative risk ratio: .34, 95% confidence interval: .11–.99). --- Conclusion: Parent–child relationship quality and communication in early adolescence are protective against very early marriage of girls cross-nationally, although communication may facilitate marriage soon on completion of school. Primary prevention interventions targeting child marriage may benefit from components focused on improving the parent–child relationship.?Enabling factors and barriers to the sustainability and scale-up of drowning reduction interventions in Vietnam: a qualitative assessment.Jagnoor Jagnoor, Aliki Christou, Cuong Pham, Rebecca Q Ivers and Ha Nguyen. Injury Prevention, 2019, pp. injuryprev-2019-043202.?Abstract: Background Vietnam has some of the highest rates of drowning deaths in the Western Pacific Region, particularly among children aged 19 years or younger. Several policies aimed at drowning prevention have been developed over the last decade; however, despite policy support, generally these have not been sustained beyond a pilot phase or have been limited to small geographical regions. The present study aims to explore barriers and facilitators for sustainability and scale-up of drowning prevention initiatives in Vietnam, identifying ways forward for future implementation.Methods This was a qualitative study using semistructured indepth interviews with key stakeholders (n=12) engaged in drowning prevention in Vietnam. The Framework Method was used to analyse the data drawing on Schell’s theoretical framework for public health programme sustainability. The Framework Method is most commonly used for the thematic analysis of semistructured interview transcripts, particularly as the data were fairly homogeneous.Results Four key factors were identified that facilitated implementation of drowning reduction activities in Vietnam. Strong political support at all levels, underpinned by policy; effective partnerships with the community; widespread communication; and programme adaptation to local contexts and application of innovative approaches, for example, strengthening organisational capacity in limited resource settings, were the key enablers. Barriers include the instability of the funding sources; inadequate programme evaluations to generate evidence of effectiveness and lack of consistent and timely data collection; and insufficient strategic planning for long-term implementation of drowning prevention interventions.Conclusion Ensuring the sustainability and scale-up of drowning prevention programmes in Vietnam requires a continued focus on enablers such as on community engagement, communication activities and partnership approaches, and importantly concerted efforts to mobilise resources for continued long-term funding, improvements in planning and intersectoral coordination, and ensuring that future programmes are robustly evaluated for effectiveness.????????????????Back to top?Health and Well-being of Young People in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam: Life Course Impacts.Fiona Carmichael, Christian K. Darko and Nicholas Vasilakos. The Journal of Development Studies, 2019, pp. 1-20.?Abstract: Using data from four waves of the Young Lives longitudinal survey, we follow the lives of 3,064 eight-year-old children over 12 years in four developing countries (Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam) to explore the links between children?s lives and their health and wellbeing in early adulthood. We apply a novel combination of sequence analysis with clustering and difference-in-differences estimation techniques to identify links between health and wellbeing outcomes in early adulthood and six distinct clusters grouping similar life course pathways. The latter are characterised by family living conditions, economic status and experience of critical life events (including economic shocks). Our results indicate that there were significant differences in health and wellbeing between children in the most advantaged and less advantaged clusters. These wellbeing gaps all narrowed over time but only completely closed for one cluster. In contrast, only some of the initial health gaps narrowed. These results suggest that policy aimed at improving health and wellbeing outcomes in early adulthood needs to focus on supporting disadvantaged young children.?Abstract 1618: Breast cancer screening in low and lower - middle income country : A program in Vietnam.Voc Tai Dang, Tu Van Dao, Thuan Van Tran and Huong Thi Tran. Cancer Research, 2019, volume 79, number 13 Supplement, pp. 1618-1618.?Abstract: Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2019; March 29-April 3, 2019; Atlanta, GABackground: From 1980 to 2010, new breast cancer cases increased by more than 50% worldwide. Disease burden increased even more rapidly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where over half of breast cancer cases now occur. In Vietnam, approximately 15229 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed with 6103 resulted deaths in 2018. Breast cancer can be detected early by screening; however, it is not covered by medical insurance. Mammogram is currently one of the most reliable screening tools for breast cancer. Regular mammograms can help detect breast cancer early, thus allowing for early treatment Purposes: To raise public awareness on breast cancer prevention and early detection, while promoting a habitual routine of breast self - examination and breast cancer screening participation; to call on companies to include breast cancer screening on the periodic health examination for female employees. Methods: We collected data on risk factors of breast cancer. Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS fifth edition) scores from the radiology reports were utilized. The information collected from women who completed the questionnaires included: age, BMI, family history of breast cancer, personal history of breast or ovarian cancer, number of pregnancies, number of babies born, number of abortion, number of miscarriage, stillbirth, hormonal medication use (hormone replacement therapy and daily oral contraceptive), age of menarche, menopause, smoking habit, and breast self-examination results. Results: There were 10,000 Vietnamese women who were over 40 years old (over 35 years old if their mother or their sister had breast cancer) participated in this program. Rate for regular breast self-examination was 19.1%. In the 40 to 55 years-old age group, the rate was 70%, 2.2% for women aged 35-39 years (with a family history of breast cancer). Eight women were diagnosed with breast cancer, the incidence rate was 80 per 100,000 population, respectively. Conclusions: The total fee for a breast cancer screening in Viet Nam is approximately $25 ($20 for a mammogram and $5 for consultation fee). This remains one of the best solutions to detect breast cancer early and reduce the overall burden of cancer treatment costs on the already strained Vietnamese health system.Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting.Citation Format: Voc Tai Dang, Tu Van Dao, Thuan Van Tran, Huong Thi Tran. Breast cancer screening in low and lower - middle income country : A program in Vietnam [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1618.????????????????Back to top?Anthropometric, cognitive, and schooling benefits of measles vaccination: Longitudinal cohort analysis in Ethiopia, India, and Vietnam.Arindam Nandi, Anita Shet, Jere R. Behrman, Maureen M. Black, David E. Bloom and others. Vaccine, 2019.Free full text?: Objective To estimate the associations between measles vaccination and child anthropometry, cognition, and schooling outcomes in Ethiopia, India, and Vietnam. Methods Longitudinal survey data from Young Lives were used to compare outcomes at ages 7–8 and 11–12?years between children who reported receipt or non-receipt of measles vaccine at 6–18?months-of-life (n?=?～2000/country). Z-scores of height-for-age (HAZ), BMI-for-age (BMIZ), weight-for-age (WAZ), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT), early grade reading assessment (EGRA), language and mathematics tests, and attained schooling grade were examined. Propensity score matching was used to control for systematic differences between measles-vaccinated and measles-unvaccinated children. Findings Using age- and country-matched measles-unvaccinated children as comparisons, measles-vaccinated children had better anthropometrics, cognition, and schooling. Measles-vaccinated children had 0.1 higher HAZ in India and 0.2 higher BMIZ and WAZ in Vietnam at age 7–8?years, and 0.2 higher BMIZ at age 11–12?years in Vietnam. At ages 7–8?years, they scored 4.5 and 2.9 percentage points (pp) more on PPVT and mathematics, and 2.3 points more on EGRA in Ethiopia, 2.5 points more on EGRA in India, and 2.6?pp, 4?pp, and 2.7 points more respectively on PPVT, mathematics, and EGRA in Vietnam. At ages 11–12?years, they scored 3?pp more on English and PPVT in India, and 1.7?pp more on PPVT in Vietnam. They also attained 0.2–0.3 additional schooling grades across all ages and countries. Conclusion Our findings suggest that measles vaccination may have benefits on cognitive gains and school-grade attainment that can have broad educational and economic consequences which extend beyond early childhood.?Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and antibiotic consumption results from 16 hospitals in Viet Nam- the VINARES project, 2012-2013.Dung Vu Tien Viet, Nga Do Thi Thuy, Ulf Rydell, Lennart E. Nilsson, Linus Olson and others. Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance, 2019.?Abstract: Objective To establish a hospital-based surveillance network with national coverage for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotic consumption in Viet Nam. Methods A 16-hospital network (Viet Nam Resistance: VINARES) was established consisting of national and provincial-level hospitals across the country. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing results from routine clinical diagnostic specimens and antibiotic consumption data in Defined Daily Dose per 1,000 bed days (DDD/1000 patient-days) were prospectively collected and analysed between October 2012 and September 2013. Results Data from a total of 24 732 de-duplicated clinical isolates were reported. The most common bacteria were:Escherichia coli (4 437 isolates, 18%), Klebsiella spp. (3 290 isolates, 13%) and Acinetobacter spp. (2 895 isolates, 12%). The hospital average antibiotic consumption was 918 DDD/1000 patient-days. Third-generation cephalosporins were the most frequently used antibiotic class (223 DDD/1000 patient-days, 24%), followed by fluoroquinolones (151 DDD/1000 patient-days, 16%) and second-generation cephalosporins (112 DDD/1000 patient-days, 12%). Proportions of antibiotic resistance were high: 1 098/1 580 (69%) of S. aureus isolates were methicillin-resistant (MRSA); 115/344 isolates (33%) and 90/358 (25%) of S. pneumoniae had reduced susceptibility to penicillin and ceftriaxone, respectively. 180/2 977 (6%) of E. coli and 242/1 526 (16%) of K. pneumoniae were resistant to imipenem, respectively; 602/1 826 (33%) of P. aeruginosa were resistant to ceftazidime and 578/1 765 (33%) to imipenem. 1 495/2 138 (70%) of Acinetobacter spp. were resistant to carbapenems and 2/333 (1%) to colistin. Conclusions These data are valuable in providing a baseline for AMR among common bacterial pathogens in Vietnamese hospitals and to assess the impact of interventions.????????????????Back to top?Prospects and strategies for malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Sub-region: a qualitative study.Nils Kaehler, Bipin Adhikari, Phaik Yeong Cheah, Lorenz von Seidlein, Nicholas P. J. Day and others. Malaria Journal, 2019, volume 18, number 1, p. 203.Free full text?: Background: As malaria elimination becomes a goal in malaria-endemic nations, questions of feasibility become critical. This article explores the potential challenges associated with this goal and future strategies for malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. --- Methods: Thirty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with policy makers (n?=?17) and principal investigators (n?=?15) selected based on their involvement in malaria prevention, control and elimination in the GMS. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed for qualitative content (thematic) analysis using QSR NVivo. --- Results:? All respondents described current malaria control and elimination strategies, such as case detection and management, prevention and strengthening of surveillance systems as critical and of equal priority. Aware of the emergence of multi-drug resistance in the GMS, researchers and policy makers outlined the need for additional elimination tools. As opposed to a centralized strategy, more targeted and tailored approaches to elimination were recommended. These included targeting endemic areas, consideration for local epidemiology and malaria species, and strengthening the peripheral health system. A decline in malaria transmission could lead to complacency amongst funders and policy makers resulting in a reduction or discontinuation of support for malaria elimination. Strong commitment of policymakers combined with strict monitoring and supervision by funders were considered pivotal to successful elimination programmes. --- Conclusion: Against a backdrop of increasing anti-malarial resistance and decreasing choices of anti-malarial regimens, policy makers and researchers stressed the urgency of finding new malaria elimination strategies. There was consensus that multi-pronged strategies and approaches are needed, that no single potential tool/strategy can be appropriate to all settings. Hence there is a need to customize malaria control and elimination strategies based on the better surveillance data.?Knowledge and Determinants of Health Consequences of Cigarette Smoking Among Vietnamese Adults, 2015.An Thi Minh Dao, Huong Thi Thu Nguyen, Giang Bao Kim, Hai Thi Phan, Huy Van Nguyen and others. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 2019, p. 1010539519854878.?Abstract: Background. Vietnam was one of 16 countries that implemented the second round of the GATS (Global Adult Tobacco Survey) in 2015. Aims. To assess knowledge and determinants of health consequences of different types of cigarette smoking among Vietnamese adults. Methods. A cross-sectional study among adults aged 15 years combined with using 15% of the master sample from the national sampling frame of the population and housing census was conducted. Multilevel analysis using Poisson regression was undertaken. Results. Knowledge on the health consequences of cigarette smoking has not significantly improved in the GATS-2015. Adults believe that active smoking had more of an impact on health than secondhand smoking and 24.5% and 43% of them answered that smoking light and e-cigarettes, respectively, causes less harm than regular cigarettes, and 17.3% and 18.1% of adults are not aware of the difference between them, respectively. Conclusion. Household and community?s role had little impact in the adult knowledge of smoking health consequences. It is necessary to disseminate information on the ?other tobacco product? and to improve public knowledge on specific health consequences, to enhance household and community?s role in conveying health education messages to individuals.????????????????Back to top?The Financial Burden of Tuberculosis for Patients in the Western-Pacific Region.Kerri Viney, Tauhidul Islam, Nguyen Binh Hoa, Fukushi Morishita and Knut L?nnroth. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 2019, volume 4, number 2, p. 94.Free full text?: The End Tuberculosis (TB) Strategy has the ambitious goal of ending the global TB epidemic by the year 2030, which is aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals. One of three high level indicators of the Strategy is the “catastrophic costs” indicator, which aims to determine the proportion of TB-affected households that incur TB-care related costs equivalent to 20% or more of their annual household income. The target is that zero percentage of TB-affected households will incur catastrophic costs related to TB care by the year 2020. In the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization, it is a priority to determine the financial burden of TB and then act to mitigate it. To date, eight countries in the Region have conducted nationally representative TB patient cost surveys to determine the costs of TB care. The results from four countries that have completed these surveys (i.e., Fiji, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Vietnam) indicate that between 35% and 70% of TB patients face catastrophic costs related to their TB care. With these results in mind, significant additional efforts are needed to ensure financial risk protection for TB patients, expand Universal Health Coverage, and improve access to social protection interventions. A multi-sectoral approach is necessary to achieve this ambitious goal by the year 2020.?Regulation of nursing professionals in Cambodia and Vietnam: a review of the evolution and key influences.Noriko Fujita, Sadatoshi Matsuoka, Kyoko Koto-Shimada, Megumi Ikarashi, Indrajit Hazarika and others. Human Resources for Health, 2019, volume 17, number 1, p. 48.Free full text?: Background: In 2006, the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed the Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) in relation to nursing services in the region. This agreement was part of a set of policies to promote the free flow of skilled labor among ASEAN members and required mutually acceptable professional regulatory frameworks. This paper presents a narrative review of the literature to (1) describe progress in the development of the regulatory framework for nursing professionals in Cambodia and Vietnam since 2000 and (2) identify key factors, including the MRA, that affect these processes. --- Methods: For document review, policy documents, laws, regulations, and published peer-reviewed and gray literature were reviewed. Data were triangulated and analyzed using a tool developed by adapting McCarthy et al.’s regulatory function framework and covering eight functions (legislation, accreditation of preservice education, competency assessment, registration and licensing system, tools and data flow of registration, scope of practice, continuing professional development, professional misconduct and disciplinary powers). --- Results: Cambodia and Vietnam have made remarkable progress in developing their regulatory frameworks for nursing. A number of key influences contributed to the development of nursing regulations, including the signing of the MRA in 2006 and the establishment of the Joint Coordinating Committee on Nursing (AJCCN) in 2007 as key milestones. Macroeconomic and political factors affecting the process were economic growth and an emerging private sector, social demand for quality care and professionalism, global attention to health workforce competencies, the role of development partners, and regular monitoring and mutual learning through AJCCN. A period of incubation enabled countries to develop consensus among stakeholders regarding regulatory arrangements; this trend accelerated after 2010 by bringing national regulatory schemes into conformity with the regional framework. Some similarities in the process (e.g., preservice education first, legislation later) and differences in key actors (e.g., professional councils and the capacity of nursing leaders) were observed in two countries. --- Conclusion: Further development of the regulatory framework will require strong nursing leadership to sustain achievements and drive continued progress. The adapted tool to assess regulatory capacity works well and may be of value in assessing the development of regulations in the nursing profession.?Anaemia and Its Relation to Demographic, Socio-economic and Anthropometric Factors in Rural Primary School Children in Hai Phong City, Vietnam.Ngan T.D. Hoang, Liliana Orellana, Tuyen D. Le, Rosalind S. Gibson, Anthony Worsley and others. nutrients, 2019.Free full text?: Little is known about the prevalence of anaemia and associated factors in school children in Vietnam. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of anaemia and its subtypes, and the associations of types of anaemia with demographic, socio-economic and anthropometric factors among 6–9-year-old primary school children in rural areas of Hai Phong City, Vietnam. Haemoglobin (Hb) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were measured, and demographic, socio-economic and anthropometric data were collected in 893 children from eight primary schools. The prevalence of anaemia (Hb < 115 g/L) was 12.9% (95% CI: 8.1%, 19.9%), microcytic anaemia (Hb < 115 g/L and MCV < 80 fL) was 7.9% (95% CI: 5.3%, 11.6%) and normocytic anaemia (Hb < 115 g/L and MCV 80–90 fL) was 5.3% (95% CI: 2.9%, 9.5%). No child presented with macrocytic anaemia (Hb < 115 g/L and MCV > 90 fL). Children who were underweight, wasted, or in anthropometric failure (either underweight, stunted or wasted) were more likely to be anaemic (all p ≤ 0.004), and specifically, to have normocytic anaemia (all p ≤ 0.006), than those who were not underweight, wasted or in anthropometric failure. Stunted children were more likely to be anaemic (p = 0.018) than those who were not stunted. Overweight/obese children were less likely to be anaemic (p = 0.026) or have normocytic anaemia (p = 0.038) compared with children who were not overweight/obese. No anthropometric status indicator was associated with the risk of microcytic anaemia. No demographic or socio-economic factor was associated with any type of anaemia. Anaemia remains a public health issue in rural areas in Hai Phong City, Vietnam, and future approaches for its prevention and control should target undernourished primary school children.????????????????Back to top?Creatting Dietitian System and Nutrition Standards in Vietnam Through Collaboration Between Vietnam and Japan (P22-013-19).Kei Kuriwaki and Huy Nguyen Do. Current Developments in Nutrition, 2019, volume 3, number Supplement_1.?Abstract: Contributing to the health improvement of Vietnamese people.Through collaborative efforts of Vietnamese National Institute of Nutrition and Japanese experts to establish educational system for dietitians and nutritional system in national level.Our project VINEP created the first-ever dietitians (bachelors) in VIetnam alongside of establishment of legal status for dietitian (job code). We further proceed to establish nutrition standards for clinical nutrition.Through internship training of Vietnamese young dietitians at Japanese prominent institutions, we could develop human resources to establish nutrition standards in Vietnam.None (The Ajinomoto Foundation is public-interest oriented foundation in Japan. National Institute of Nutrition is an institution under Ministry of Health, Vietnam).?Developing a Global Strategy for the Control of Folate Deficiency and Folic Acid Responsive Neural Tube Defects in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (P10-107-19).Homero Martinez, Jessica Poulin, Aliki Weakland, Lynn Bailey, Rajesh Mehta and others. Current Developments in Nutrition, 2019, volume 3, number Suppl 1, pp. nzz034.P10-107-19.Free full text?: OBJECTIVES: To develop a global action plan for the control of folate deficiency and folic acid responsive neural tube defects (anencephaly and spina bifida) METHODS: ? Establish a multi- and inter-disciplinary group to develop a global action plan for folate-sensitive NTD prevention. ? Ensure regional lab capacity exists to assess folate status applying a harmonized microbiologic assay (MBA) to measure red blood cell (RBC) folate, establishing a global network of regional laboratories coordinated by an umbrella organization. ? Promote improvements of folate status in women of reproductive age (WRA) in LMIC, engaging a wide variety of national and global stakeholders. ? Address key knowledge gaps related to the prevention of folate sensitive NTDs. ? Improve knowledge availability and sharing amongst global stakeholders in NTD prevention. ? Communicate and share the work of the Folate Task Team. RESULTS: ? A standing Folate Task Team comprised of a 2-member Secretariat, a 10-member Expert Advisory Group, 4 Ex-Officio members, and 4 “As Needed” advisors (see Fig. 1). ? Identification of an initial list of 12 global stakeholders and partner organizations. ? Five resource laboratories have been trained at the Division of Laboratory Sciences - CDC, including labs in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Tanzania, and Pakistan. ? A training video supported by a manual and mini posters to illustrate specific activities of the assay has been produced by CDC. ? A landscaping analysis has identified countries that have mandatory/voluntary food fortification practices, information on folate status in the population, burden of NTDs, and consumption patterns of fortified foods. ? Identification of alternative foods/food vehicles likely to be fortified to reach at-risk segments of WRA. ? Dissemination activities are shared at?. CONCLUSIONS: ? The estimated global prevalence of NTD-affected pregnancies is estimated to be 260,100 in 2015 and has a significant emotional and economic impact on families and society, while contributing to the loss of human potential for countries. ? The global action provides a clear path forward to help direct and prioritize investments, advance resource mobilization, and garner the political will to accelerate NTD prevention in LMIC. FUNDING SOURCES: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. SUPPORTING TABLES, IMAGES AND/OR GRAPHS:.????????????????Back to top?Examining the Exposure, Timing, and Frequency of Interpersonal Communication Contacts to Improve Infant and Young Child Feeding in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam (P10-138-19).Sunny Kim, Phuong Nguyen, Lan Tran, Silvia Alayon, Purnima Menon and others. Curr Dev Nutr, 2019, volume 3, number Suppl 1.Free full text?: OBJECTIVES: In the context of large-scale interventions to improve infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, we examined differences in characteristics of those exposed and not exposed to interventions; exposure to interpersonal communication (IPC), including overlap with other interventions and timing and number of contacts; and relationship between frequency of IPC contacts and IYCF practices. METHODS: We used endline survey data from Bangladesh (2000 mothers with children <2y, 1000 per program group), Ethiopia (1720 mother with children aged 6–23.9 mo, 1360 per group), and Vietnam (2005 mothers with children <2y, 1000 per group). Regression models were used to test differences in exposure to specific or combined interventions between two arms and relationships between the frequency of IPC contacts or exposure to interventions and IYCF practices, adjusted for child age and sex and geographic clustering. RESULTS: Those exposed to interventions had higher socioeconomic status, food security, and maternal dietary diversity. There was large overlap in exposure to IPC with other interventions in intensive-intervention areas in all 3 countries. On average, mothers received 8 visits in the last 6 mo, 2 visits in the last 3 mo, and 1 visit in the last 6 mo in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Vietnam respectively. In Bangladesh, there was a positive, nonsignificant association between intervention exposure and IYCF practices in intensive areas. In Ethiopia, exposure to IPC with other interventions was associated with higher odds of minimum meal frequency (OR: 1.6), minimum dietary diversity (OR: 1.8), and consumption of iron-rich foods (OR: 4.7). In Vietnam, exposure to IPC alone or with mass media was associated with 3.7 and 2.8 higher odds respectively of exclusive breastfeeding. At least monthly visits was associated with higher odds of IYCF practices in Bangladesh and Ethiopia. In Vietnam, any number of IPC visits was associated with 2 times higher odds of exclusive breastfeeding. CONCLUSIONS: Effects of combined behavior-change interventions and frequency of IPC contacts may be context-specific. FUNDING SOURCES: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through Alive & Thrive, managed by FHI 360; and CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), led by the International Food Policy Research Institute.?Intervention Design Elements Are Associated with Frontline Health Workers’ Performance to Deliver Infant and Young Child Nutrition Services in Bangladesh and Viet Nam (P10-128-19).Phuong Nguyen, Sunny Kim, Lan Tran, Purnima Menon and Edward Frongillo. Curr Dev Nutr, 2019, volume 3, number Suppl 1.?Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Frontline health workers (FLW) are needed for delivering interventions at scale to reduce maternal and child undernutrition, but low- and middle-income countries often face inadequate FLW performance. This study aimed to test whether and how intervention design elements such as training, supervision, and mass media improved FLW performance in delivering nutrition services. METHODS: Survey data were collected in 2010 and 2014 as part of impact evaluations of Alive & Thrive (A&T) interventions to improve infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices in Bangladesh and Vietnam. FLWs in A&T intensive (A&T-I) areas received specialized IYCF training, job aids, and regular supportive supervision. Those in A&T non-intensive (A&T-NI) areas received standard government training and supervision; there was mass media exposure in both areas. Multiple regression was used to test differences in exposure to intervention design elements and performance outcomes between the two intervention areas. Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the paths from exposure to performance outcomes measured at the FLW and end-user levels. RESULTS: Compared to FLWs in A&T-NI areas, those in A&T-I areas had higher scores in training (by 1.3–3.6 out of 10 points), supportive supervision (by 0.3–3.5 points), and mass media exposure (by 0.3–3.5 points). These intervention design elements were significantly associated with FLW knowledge and motivation, which in turn improved service delivery. FLW-level performance outcomes contributed to improving end-user-level outcomes such as higher service utilization (β = 0.12–1.04 in Bangladesh and 0.11–0.96 in Vietnam) and maternal knowledge (β = 0.12- 0.17 in Bangladesh and 0.04–0.21 in Vietnam). CONCLUSIONS: Training, supervision, and mass media exposure can contribute to improved FLW service delivery by enhancing knowledge and motivation, which in turn positively influence mother's service utilization and IYCF knowledge. These elements and mechanisms should be considered by policy makers and program implementers when designing interventions or reinforcing the work context of FLWs. FUNDING SOURCES: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, through Alive & Thrive, managed by FHI 360.????????????????Back to top?Environmental analyses to inform transitions to sustainable diets in developing countries: case studies for Vietnam and Kenya.Martin C. Heller, Abhijeet Walchale, Brent R. Heard, Lesli Hoey, Colin K. Khoury and others. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2019.?Abstract: Purpose: Sustainable diets are an environmental, economic, and public health imperative, but identifying clear intervention points is challenging. Decision-making will require descriptive analyses from a variety of perspectives, even under the inevitable uncertainty introduced by limited data. This study uses existing data to provide a diet-level perspective on environmental impact from food production in the case study countries of Vietnam and Kenya. --- Methods: FAO food supply data at decadal time steps were used as a proxy for national average diets in Vietnam and Kenya. We combined these data with estimates of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and water use impact associated with producing food commodities. Generic GHGE factors were derived from a survey of the life cycle assessment literature. Country- and commodity-specific blue water use estimates were used, reflecting country-of-origin for import-dominated commodities. The AWARE characterization model was used to offer a diet-associated water scarcity footprint. Trends in diet-associated environmental impacts were interpreted in light of diet shifts, economic development trends, and other factors. --- Results and discussion: Increasing per capita food supply in Vietnam, and in particular increases in meat, have led to rising diet-associated per capita GHGE. While supply of beef remains 5.2 times smaller than pork—the dominant meat—increases in beef demand in the past decade have resulted in it becoming second only to rice in contribution to diet GHGE. The water use and water scarcity footprint in Vietnam follow an increasing trend comparable to food supply. On the other hand, historically consistent levels of dairy and beef in Kenya dominate diet-level GHGE. Water use associated with the Kenyan diet shows marked increases between the 1990s and 2000s due to imports of wheat and rice from water-stressed regions. Environmental performance data for characteristic food production systems in these and other developing countries are needed to improve the representativeness and reliability of such assessments. --- Conclusions: Despite data limitations, the methods and results presented here may offer a fresh perspective in sustainable development policy deliberations, as they offer an entry point to linking environmental impact and consumption behaviors and can elucidate otherwise obscure or unexpected outcomes. A clear need emerges for further environmental analysis of dominant production systems within both Vietnam and Kenya.?Persistent Malnutrition in Ethnic Minority Communities of Vietnam : Issues and Options for Policy and Interventions.Nkosinathi V. N. Mbuya, Stephen J. Atwood and Phuong Nam Huynh. World Bank, 2019.Free full text?: Because malnutrition in early life significantly affects the physical and mental development of children, addressing malnutrition is fundamental to the development of Vietnam’s human capital. Economic development of the nation depends on the strength, resilience, and intelligence of its workforce. Governments dedicate millions of dollars annually to health and education, recognizing that individual losses in productivity may run as high as 10□ percent of lifetime earnings and that as much as 11 percent of GDP could be lost each year in Asia and Africa due to undernutrition. The ethnic minority groups living mainly in the northern midlands and in the mountainous and central highlands regions are consistently more undernourished than the Kinh majority. Despite decreases in stunting, the prevalence of stunting among ethnic minority children is still twice that in the Kinh ethnic group. There has been an overall decline in wasting of 1.7 percent between 2000 and 2011, although only the richest quintile showed a significant reduction (3.4 percent). These data, along with an overall decrease in the prevalence of wasting and stunting, indicate an increase in nutrition inequality between 2000 and 2011. Moreover, it is noteworthy that the ethnic minority groups constitute the majority of the undernourished populations in most of the 10 provinces with the highest rates of stunting among children under 5 years old. This analytical report describes the very high rates of malnutrition among ethnic minority populations in Vietnam. It assesses the determinants and causes, using a causal framework and systems analysis; reviews current commitments and policies directed at reducing disparities in malnutrition; examines implementation of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions, particularly those that require multisectoral coordination and collaboration; draws conclusions based on the analysis; and recommends how policies and programs can be strengthened to reduce inequities and fulfill the economic potential of all ethnic groups.????????????????Back to top?Prevalence of Folic Acid Supplementation by Pregnant Women in Vietnam (P10-102-19).Anh Ha, Yun Zhao, Colin W. Binns and Andy Lee. Current developments in nutrition, 2019, volume 3, number Suppl 1, pp. nzz034.P10-102-19.Free full text?: OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of folic acid supplement use and associated maternal characteristics in Vietnam. METHODS: A multicentre cohort study to which logistics regression analyses were used to explore factors that determined whether folic acid was taken. Folic acid usage was assessed via face-to-face interviews with 2030 pregnant women at 24-28th week of gestation in Hanoi, Haiphong and Hochiminh City, Vietnam during 2015-2017. Given that the multivitamin supplements available in Vietnam contain folic acid, the first binary outcome variable was defined as the use of either folic acid or multivitamin supplements for the entire first six months of pregnancy (1 = regular user, 0 = non-regular user). The second binary outcome variable was defined as the use of folic acid supplement only for the entire first six months of pregnancy (1 = regular user, 0 = non-regular user). For both outcomes, the 'non-regular user' group included participants who never consumed the supplement (non-users) and those users who took the tablets for less than the six-month pregnancy period. Information on maternal characteristics was also obtained during the baseline interview, including age, formal employment, education level, parity, pre-pregnancy BMI, and planned pregnancy. RESULTS: The proportions of pregnant women who reported getting folic acid for the entire first six months of pregnancy was low at 25.8% for either folic acid or multivitamin supplements, and 20.1% for folic acid supplements only. This means that almost 75-80% of mothers did not take folic acid during the first trimester of pregnancy, leaving almost all Vietnamese mothers unprotected against neural tube defects. Women aged 30-34 years and those with low education levels, formal employment, first or unplanned pregnancy, were less likely to consume these supplements. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that the number of women taking folic acid in the early stages of pregnancy is low. In order to prevent neural tube defects for all Vietnamese children, improved policies are needed for the distribution of folic acid tablets and health promotion campaigns targeting these vulnerable subgroups of women for usage and adherence are recommended. FUNDING SOURCES: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.?Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and antibiotic consumption results from 16 hospitals in Viet Nam- the VINARES project, 2012-2013.Dung Vu Tien Viet, Nga Do Thi Thuy, Ulf Rydell, Lennart E. Nilsson, Linus Olson and others. Journal of global antimicrobial resistance, 2019.Free full text?: OBJECTIVE:To establish a hospital-based surveillance network with national coverage for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotic consumption in Viet Nam. METHODS:A 16-hospital network (Viet Nam Resistance: VINARES) was established consisting of national and provincial-level hospitals across the country. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing results from routine clinical diagnostic specimens and antibiotic consumption data in Defined Daily Dose per 1,000 bed days (DDD/1000 patient-days) were prospectively collected and analysed between October 2012 and September 2013. RESULTS:Data from a total of 24 732 de-duplicated clinical isolates were reported. The most common bacteria were:Escherichia coli (4 437 isolates, 18%), Klebsiella spp. (3 290 isolates, 13%) and Acinetobacter spp. (2 895 isolates, 12%). The hospital average antibiotic consumption was 918 DDD/1000 patient-days. Third-generation cephalosporins were the most frequently used antibiotic class (223 DDD/1000 patient-days, 24%), followed by fluoroquinolones (151 DDD/1000 patient-days, 16%) and second-generation cephalosporins (112 DDD/1000 patient-days, 12%). Proportions of antibiotic resistance were high: 1 098/1 580 (69%) of S. aureus isolates were methicillin-resistant (MRSA); 115/344 isolates (33%) and 90/358 (25%) of S. pneumoniae had reduced susceptibility to penicillin and ceftriaxone, respectively. 180/2 977 (6%) of E. coli and 242/1 526 (16%) of K. pneumoniae were resistant to imipenem, respectively; 602/1 826 (33%) of P. aeruginosa were resistant to ceftazidime and 578/1 765 (33%) to imipenem. 1 495/2 138 (70%) of Acinetobacter spp. were resistant to carbapenems and 2/333 (1%) to colistin. CONCLUSIONS:These data are valuable in providing a baseline for AMR among common bacterial pathogens in Vietnamese hospitals and to assess the impact of interventions.????????????????Back to top?Cultural Sensitivity and Global Pharmacy Engagement in Asia: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam.Marina Kawaguchi-Suzuki, Michael D. Hogue, Nile M. Khanfar, Monina R. Lahoz, Miranda G. Law and others. American journal of pharmaceutical education, 2019, volume 83, number 4, pp. 7215-7215.Free full text?: Schools and colleges of pharmacy in the United States increasingly interact with those in Asian countries for various purposes such as education and research. For both those visiting and those hosting, it is important to understand and respect the culture of the other's country to enrich these interactions. This paper, the second of two manuscripts on Asian countries, focuses on India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam. For each country, the following information is provided: general introduction, health care system, pharmacy practice, and pharmacy education, stereotypes and misconceptions, recommendations for US-based health care professionals, faculty members, and students who visit these Asian countries, and recommendations for them to host visitors from these Asian countries. The aim of this paper is to assist US health care professionals, faculty members, and students in initiating and promoting a culturally sensitive engagement.?Current Use of Antibiotics among Vietnamese People in the First Level of Healthcare System in Nam Dinh Province.Ngo Huy Hoang, Joy Notter, Joy Hall, Malcom Hughes and Hoang Thi Kim Huyen. American Journal of Public Health Research, 2019, volume 7, number 3.Free full text?: In Vietnam, the national public healthcare services and statistics reveal problems with antibiotic use in the community with misunderstandings leading to the irrational and inappropriate use of these drugs resulting in bacterial resistance together with its consequences. There have been studies in Vietnam revealing a major problem in prescribing in the acute sector, but most antibiotics are prescribed in the community and there had been no studies exploring the situation in the community. This study was therefore an evaluation of the knowledge, skills and prescribing practice of those primarily responsible for administering antibiotics in the community, and was the first of its kind in Vietnam. The study used method triangulation to evaluate antibiotic use in the study location, a district in one province in North Vietnam. The district was chosen as it was typical of other rural areas in North Vietnam. The findings revealed a very high rate of antibiotic administration (79.8%) of which more than half (54%) were incorrectly prescribed for non-infectious conditions. Also, misunderstandings, limited knowledge and perceptions regarding the use of antibiotics, with staff having had little post basic training and education. It is further recommended that similar studies will be conducted along this line to verify the findings of the study.????????????????Back to top?Developing pharmacogenetic screening methods for an emergent country: Vietnam.Dinh Van Nguyen, Christopher Vidal, Hieu Chi Chu and Sheryl van Nunen. World Allergy Organ J, 2019, volume 12, number 5, p. 100037.Free full text?: Background: The finding of strong associations between certain human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotypes and the development of severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (SCARs), [for example, HLA-B*57:01 and abacavir (ABC), HLA-B*15:02 and carbamazepine (CBZ) and HLA-B*58:01 and allopurinol], has led to HLA screening being used to prevent SCARs. Screening has been shown to be of great benefit in a number of studies. Clinical translation from bench to bedside, however, depends upon the development of simple, rapid and cost-effective assays to detect these risk alleles. In highly populated developing countries such as Vietnam, where there is a high prevalence of HLA-B*15:02 and HLA-B*58:01 correlating with a high incidence of CBZ- and allopurinol-induced SCARs, the crucial factor in the implementation of comprehensive screening programs to detect these major risk HLA alleles is the availability of suitable assays. Body: We have summarized the role and economic benefits of HLA screening, reviewed published HLA screening methods used currently in pharmacogenetic screening and examined the advantages and disadvantages of assays developed specifically for use in screening for risk alleles in the prevention of HLA-associated SCARs in Vietnam. Conclusion: The optimal approach we propose may serve as a template for the development of screening programs in other emergent countries.?Trends in Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Use of Antenatal Care Services by Women Aged 15 to 49 Years in Vietnam.Vu Duy Kien, Tej Ram Jat, Tran Van Phu, Le Manh Cuong, Vu Thi Mai Anh and others. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 2019.Free full text?: Despite considerable variations in the use of antenatal care (ANC) services in Vietnam, limited information is available on socioeconomic inequalities concerning the use of ANC services. This study aimed to assess the trends and changes in socioeconomic inequalities in the use of ANC services by women aged 15 to 49 years in Vietnam from 2006 to 2014. We used data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey conducted in 2006, 2011, and 2014. The percentage of women who received ANC services increased significantly from 26.5% in 2006 to 42.7% in 2011 and reached 56.6% in 2014. We found a decreasing trend in the concentration indices of the use of ANC services from 0.36 in 2006 to 0.19 in 2014. The common factors significantly associated with the higher percentage of the use of ANC services in 2006, 2011, and 2014 were women belonging to the Kinh and Hoa ethnic groups and belonging to wealthier groups. Our study showed a reduction in socioeconomic inequality in the use of ANC services between 2004 and 2014. However, significant inequalities still exist in the use of ANC services based on women’s education, ethnicity, and economic status.????????????????Back to top?Measuring healthcare service quality for inpatient at the national heart institute at Bachmai Hospital in Vietnam.Si Dung Chu, Minh Thi Tran, Dung Tien Vu, Khanh Quoc Pham and Anh Quoc Nguyen. International Journal of Public Health and Clinical Sciences (IJPHCS), 2019, volume 6, number 3.Free full text?: Objective: A survey was conducted for measuring healthcare service quality for inpatient at national public general hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam using the Tools of both in the SERVQUAL model and John E. Ware model. --- Methods: Cross-Sectional study. The study obtained feedbacks from inpatients over one month from January 2014 to February 2014; after inpatients finished their inpatient care at the hospital, they were asked 30 questions following the tool of both in functional and technical quality, using the five generic dimensions (the original 22 scores) of SERVQUAL instrument to combinate with the one dimensions (8 scores) of John E. Ware model, each question can score from 1-5. --- Results: In total, 325 patients were interviewed and completed the survey. Levels of inpatient satisfaction about service quality is influenced by the tool with 6 items (30 score), All dimension (6 dimension) have reliability coefficient > 0.05; and Cronbach alpha coefficient of the model’s 0.932: Including the first is Reliability (5 score), the second is Responsiveness (4 score), the third is Assurance (4 score), the fourth is Empathy (4 score), the fifth is Tangible (5 score), and the sixth is Technical quality (8 score) with highly Corrected Item-Total Correlation of four construct of patient satisfaction in healthcare service quality (from 0.646 to 0.837). Overall, the level of highly inpatient satisfaction about quality of healthcare in the hospital was explained almost 73.954% what could be achieved. --- Conclusions: Adjusted research model for the hospital has six contruct from levels of inpatient satisfaction about healthcare service quality is influenced by the tool with 6 factors (30 score). The tool provides feedback on the service quality for medical examination and treatment process of a public hospital experience from the adult inpatient’s perspective at the developing nation as Vietnam.?The perception of crowding, quality and well-being: a study of Vietnamese public health services.Sukanlaya Sawang, Cindy Yunhsin Chou and Bao Quoc Truong-Dinh. Journal of Health Organization and Management, 2019.?Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which the perception of crowding by medical staff and patients impacts patients’ perceived service quality (SQ), overall satisfaction and emotional well-being. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 258 matched pairs of medical staff members and their patients at six public hospitals. Findings Medical staff-perceived crowding negatively influences patients’ perceived SQ. The perceived SQ then impacts patients’ overall satisfaction and emotional well-being. Patients’ perceived crowding does not significantly impact their perceived SQ but increases the positive emotional well-being of patients. Originality/value Scant research has investigated a matched pair of service providers and their customers. This study concentrates on how individuals’ perceived human crowding and medical staff SQ affect consumers’ emotional well-being. This research leads to the formulation of theoretical and public policy suggestions to improve the quality of interactive services with minimal cost and disruption.????????????????Back to top?ENERGY?Exploring Renewable Energy Opportunities in Select Southeast Asian Countries: A Geospatial Analysis of the Levelized Cost of Energy of Utility-Scale Wind and Solar Photovoltaics.Nathan Lee, Francisco Flores-Espino, Ricardo P Cardoso de Oliveira, Billy J Roberts, Thomas Brown and others. USAID, 2019.Free full text?: The costs of renewable energy-based electricity generation have fallen precipitously in recent years to levels that are increasingly competitive with traditional generation such as fossil fuel-based generation. As these costs become increasingly competitive, private developers, policymakers, and energy system planners are searching for opportunities to harness high-quality renewable energy resources. Developing economies are setting ambitious targets and exploring how cost-effective, grid-connected renewable energy options can help power economic growth and meet growing electricity demands. This includes the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that are determined to reach a target of 23% of renewable energy in the region's total primary energy supply by 2025. A critical gap to identifying opportunities and scaling up renewable energy is the lack of quality data and analyses to support decisions on the investment and deployment of renewables - including wind and solar photovoltaics (PV). This work supports decision making by providing high-quality data and spatial analysis of the cost of utility-scale wind and solar PV generation in select countries of Southeast Asia - specifically, the ASEAN member states. Generation costs are expressed as the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) - a commonly used metric that represents the net present value of the unit cost of electricity during the lifetime of a particular electricity generation technology. This is the first spatial estimate of LCOE for these technologies within the ASEAN member states - providing insights into the roles that renewable energy resource quality and other factors may play in generation costs.?INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT?Infrastructure and Economic Development in Developing Economies: New Empirical Evidence from Night-Time Satellite Imagery in Vietnam.Hiep Ngoc Luu, Ngoc Minh Nguyen, Hai Hong Ho and Dao Ngoc Tien. International Journal of Social Economics, 2019, volume 46, number 4.?Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of infrastructure on economic development in developing economies. Design/methodology/approach: A panel data analysis approach is utilised to evaluate the influence of various types of infrastructure on economic development in Vietnam over the period 2003-2013. Specifically, this study uses spatial night-light data taken from NASA's satellite as an alternative proxy for economic development. Findings: The analyses indicate that infrastructure enhancement consistently exerts a positive effect on the economy. Upon further investigations of the channels through which infrastructure could affect economic development, the empirical results reveal, in addition, that the developmental impact of infrastructure tends to be stronger if more rigorous government supervision and oversight of the construction and delivery of infrastructure projects are in place to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the private sector's investment in infrastructure facilities. Finally, the interaction of infrastructure with human capital appears to exert an especially important influence upon economic development.????????????????Back to top?Access to homebuyer credit and housing satisfaction among households buying affordable apartments in urban Vietnam.Tuan Anh Nguyen, Tuyen Quang Tran, Huong Vu Van and Dat Quoc Luu. Cogent Economics & Finance, 2019, p. 1638112.?Abstract: This study examines the relationship between the access to homebuyer credits and housing satisfaction among those buying affordable apartments, using a sample of 1,000 respondents from our own survey in 2016 in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh Cities. Our regression analysis reveals the education level, the size and value of apartments are closely linked with the access to preferential homebuyer credits. Notably, we find that the access to preferencial home loans has a strongly positive impact on housing satisfaction, after controlling for all other factors in the model. Thus, the finding confirms that preferencial home loan programs play an important role in helping low income households own affordable apartments and increase their housing satisfation. We also find that some other features of their apartments, such as the number of bath rooms and balconies, the distance from the apartment building to schoosl, bus stations and markets, are strongly linked with housing satisfaction.?Developing a Green Route Model for Dry Port Selection in Vietnam.Hoang Thai Pham and Hyangsook Lee. The Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics, 2019, volume 35, number 2, pp. 96-107.?Abstract: The dry port can smooth the movement of cargo and eliminate capacity pressure, natural restriction and externalities faced by seaports. A network of dry ports also can reduce the amount of pollution emitted from logistics activities by allowing the increasing share of environmentally friendly modes of transport. The paper suggests a green routing model for dry port selection to increases the percentage of using rail or inland waterway transportation in the journey through dry port, instead of road transportation. This model reduces the amount of emission from logistics activities, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), nitric oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) with the minimum cost, considering both the emission charge and the shipping charge. A case study is conducted for Samsung Thai Nguyen factory in the North of Vietnam to validate the model application. The results indicate that the smallest total cost route saves up to 51% of CO2 and 36.5% of PM emission exhausted than unimodal road transportation. The research provides a useful guideline for new green transport policies of public agents as well as decision-making processes in private companies.?Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity: assessing growth impacts and interdependencies.Tilak Abeysinghe, Khee Giap Tan and Le Phuong Anh Nguyen. International Journal of Logistics Economics and Globalisation, 2019, volume 8, number 1, pp. 67-89.?Abstract: The ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have quietly but steadily been taking steps to deepen economic linkages with the region. A milestone was reached in 2015 with the adoption of a blueprint on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) which came into force in 2016. As increased intra-regional connectivity is central to the realisation of the AEC, in October 2010, the ASEAN member states adopted the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC), the regional blueprint for improved physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity. This paper offers an empirical examination of the economic impact of the MPAC on the ASEAN region's growth. An individual country-based trend analysis shows very little effect of MPAC. A structural VAR analysis that accounts for both direct and indirect effects also shows that the impact of MPAC has hitherto been very low. Obviously the analysis also shows the decreasing influence of OECD and increasing influence of China on ASEAN with India remaining weak as an engine of growth for ASEAN. This calls for measures to enhance the region's intra-regional interdependencies as well as the interdependencies vis-à-vis ASEAN's traditional and emerging trading partners.????????????????Back to top?Quality of seawater at seaports of southeast area and Mekong delta in Vietnam.D. H. Bui. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2019, volume 537, p. 062066.Free full text?: Water quality of seaport is the question of interest for the sustainable development of Vietnam’s seaport system, particularly the port is located is located on the rivers before flowing into the sea. This article assesses the current state of the system to collect and treat waste water generated in the operation of ports and water quality of seaports in the Southeast area and the Mekong River Delta, as the basis for proposed environmental protection solutions accordance with development plan of Vietnam’s seaport system.?Vulnerable road users in low-, middle-, and high-income countries: Validation of a Pedestrian Behaviour Questionnaire.Rich C. McIlroy, Katherine L. Plant, Usanisa Jikyong, V? Hoài Nam, Brenda Bunyasi and others. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2019, volume 131, pp. 80-94.?Abstract: The primary aim of this study was to validate the short version of a Pedestrian Behaviour Questionnaire across six culturally and economically distinct countries; Bangladesh, China, Kenya, Thailand, the UK, and Vietnam. The questionnaire comprised 20 items that asked respondents to rate the extent to which they perform certain types of pedestrian behaviours, with each behaviour belonging to one of five categories identified in previous literature; violations, errors, lapses, aggressive behaviours, and positive behaviours. The sample consisted of 3423 respondents across the six countries. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the fit of the data to the five-factor structure, and a four-factor structure in which violations and errors were combined into one factor (seen elsewhere in the literature). For some items, factor loadings were unacceptably low, internal reliability was low for two of the sub-scales, and model fit indices were generally unacceptable for both models. As such, only the violations, lapses, and aggressions sub-scales were retained (those with acceptable reliability and factor loadings), and the three-factor model tested. Although results suggest that the violations sub-scale may need additional attention, the three-factor solution showed the best fit to the data. The resulting 12-item scale is discussed with regards to country differences, and with respect to its utility as a research tool in cross-cultural studies of road user behaviour.????????????????Back to top?LABOR?The Feminization of Employment through Export-Led Strategies: Evidence from Viet Nam.Thi Anh-Dao Tran. Revue de la régulation, 2019.Free full text?: The early successful experiences of the East Asian NICs confirmed the role of exports as an engine of growth. Surprisingly, most of the earlier studies omit one important empirical fact, namely that the feminization of work contributed significantly to their rapid industrialization. Feminist trade theories argue that export-oriented development strategies have so far been exploitative of cheap female labour in the South. As globalization gathers pace, an increasing number of women in Developing Countries (DCs) have been absorbed into labour-intensive, export-oriented manufacturing sectors. However, the structural changes that go hand in hand with export promotion, as well as the international environment the South faces today, have dramatically modified the inner drives behind the phenomenon. This paper reviews the salient mechanisms at work through a structuralist approach of gender. By examining women’s labour force participation rate in Viet Nam, we show how patterns of gender relations stemming from structural characteristics, as well as social and institutional practices, is related to export-oriented industrialization.?Vietnam’s and China’s Diverging Industrial Relations Systems: Cases of Path Dependency.Anita Chan. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 2019, pp. 1-20.?Abstract: This article explains why Vietnam and China, one-party states that allow only one official trade union, are traversing different paths in their trade unions? institutional structures, the state?s and trade union?s attitudes towards strikes, their willingness to allow independent trade unions and willingness to engage with the international labour union movement. These will be examined in terms of the path dependency of their recent histories, in which changes have been incremental on a path laid down by pre-existing entrenched institutions, until each national system no longer operated properly and new contingencies obliged the leadership to revamp the system. As a consequence of China?s and Vietnam?s divergent path dependencies, when external contingencies finally forced institutional change, countries have veered onto divergent trajectories ? the Trans-Pacific Partnership energising Vietnam to debate the acceptance of autonomous trade unions, while Xi Jinping in China has intensified Party control over industrial relations.????????????????Back to top?SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT?Changing Practices in the Highlands of Vietnam: Transitioning from Subjects of Research to Agents of Change.Marilyn Fleer, Freya Fleer-Stout, Helen Hedges and Hanh Le Thi Bich. in: Supporting Difficult Transitions: Children, Young People and their Carers, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2019.?Abstract: This chapter is concerned with the question of how professionals from different professional practices, working together with parents and other community members, with the common goal of improving the life conditions of Bah'nar children in the highlands of Vietnam (Baulch, Chuyen, Haughton and Haughton, 2007), transitioned from being subjects of research to agents of change during the process of developing a locally relevant evaluation tool. To answer this question, we drew upon Edwards's (2016) concepts of common knowledge, relational expertise and relational agency to study the process of tool development. Hedegaard's (2014) concepts of motives and demands guided how we came to understand the way local professionals negotiated their expertise and built common knowledge of what mattered to them during the process of developing the evaluation tool. In many countries, agencies are charged with creating better conditions for children's learning and development. Through international funding, both human and material resources are provided to support local initiatives in schools and early childhood and family-based settings. But with this philanthropic funding comes the need for external evaluations to determine if and how best to further develop these programmes. Most NGOs contract international researchers to undertake these evaluations, where a range of ways of evaluating programmes feature and a range of ways of conceptualizing practices emerge. But how local and indigenous knowledge, practices and agency in resource-poor contexts are evaluated continues to be problematic (Fenech, Sweller and Harrison, 2010). Emerging from these contexts is the need for localized ways of developing research tools that capture what matters for the participants of these programmes, rather than being externally evaluated on criteria that could be irrelevant to local needs, values and motives (Gregory and Ruby, 2011). --- Central to this chapter is an NGO established in 1993 with the brief to work in partnership with local people, including educational organizations and the different government bodies responsible for the education and health of Vietnamese children. Like many other NGOs, the overall goal was to improve the educational experience of all children, especially the Bah'nar children. The target was education for all by setting up and implementing an early childhood care and development project between 2012 and 2017 in the province of Gia Lai (Le Thi Bich and Nguyen, 2013). The project, known locally as the 4 Cornerstone Education and Care Program, focused specifically on increasing access to schooling, improving the educational experience of children in preschool and in the first year of school, and supporting families and educators through increased child-development knowledge. A summary of the programme is shown further below. As with other established and piloted programmes, the NGO faced the challenge of evaluating their programme by bringing in external evaluators new to the programme and new to the collaborating participants and children and their families. The central problem for the NGO was how best to evaluate their 4 Cornerstone Program, which was being implemented in a province where there were sensitivities in relation to outsiders due to past conflicts. For example, foreigners had not been previously allowed to visit, and even the Vietnamese professionals at the centre of the initiative had to seek local Bah'nar community members' approval in order to engage with them. The central problem for the external researchers was how to do this in a way that reflected what mattered for the local peoples of the highlands of Vietnam. Achieving the twin goals meant developing in partnership the evaluation tool to meet specific local needs, values and motives of the participants and the NGO. --- This chapter is concerned with these twin goals, with a specific focus on understanding the transition process of the local participants: ? Creating a new evaluation scale directed at the local Bah'nar people living in the highlands of Vietnam; ? Developing the evaluation scale into a tool to show the impact of the 4 Cornerstone Program that was developed by the NGO; ? Negotiating with each other to effect change and create new conditions for Bah'nar children. To achieve the goal of understanding the transition of participants from subjects of research to agents of change during the process of developing a locally relevant evaluation tool, we begin this chapter by presenting an example of one of the features of the evaluation scale and an overview of the study itself. This is followed by a case study of the development of the evaluation tool and a discussion of what was learnt. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the transition practices evident in the case study. The central findings of this study are theorized as double researcher subjectivity, multiple interagency contradictions and agents of practice change. Unless stated otherwise, the term 'collaborating participants' captures the parents from the communities, local community leaders, the NGO staff, principals, early childhood teachers, primary teachers, an independent local quantitative research company, and international cultural-historical researchers (first three authors). We specifically focus our analysis on the interagency professionals, including the local community leaders, the NGO staff, principals, early childhood teachers and primary teachers.?Migration, crop production and non-farm labor diversification in rural Vietnam.Duc Loc Nguyen, Ulrike Grote and Trung Thanh Nguyen. Economic Analysis and Policy, 2019, volume 63, pp. 175-187.?Abstract: This article examines the impacts of migration with and without remittances on crop productivity growth , crop diversification, and non-farm labor diversification of rural households in Vietnam. We use village fixed-effects regression models for a panel data set of about 2,000 rural households collected in 2007, 2008 and 2010 in three rural provinces. The findings demonstrate that rural households who receive remittances from their migrants reduce the share of their income from rice, increase their land productivity and become more specialized in non-farm labor allocation. However, migration without remittances decreases farm labor productivity growth and crop diversification of rural households.????????????????Back to top?Combating Human Trafficking of Ethnic Minorities in Rural Vietnam: A Global Collaboration.Cheryl A. Corbett, Karen M. Lundberg and Allison W. Corbett. 30th International Nursing Research Congress: Theory-to-Practice: Catalyzing Collaborations to Connect Globally - Held 25-29 July 2019 in Calgary Alberta Canada, 2019.?Abstract: Description of a global collaboration to combat human trafficking among ethnic minorities in rural Vietnam. Nursing students studying global health partnered with an established social enterprise in Vietnam to teach strategies to combat the high rate of ethnic minority girls disappearing and falling prey to human trafficking.?Post-trafficking stressors: The influence of hopes, fears and expectations on the mental health of young trafficking survivors in the Greater Mekong Sub-region.Marie Nodzenski, Ligia Kiss, Nicola S. Pocock, Heidi Stoeckl, Cathy Zimmerman and others. Child Abuse & Neglect, 2019, p. 104067.?Abstract: Background Human trafficking and labor exploitation are prevalent in Southeast Asia and have substantial health consequences for children and adolescents. Research on pre-departure circumstances and trafficking experiences show that gender plays a key role in shaping the experience of exploited children and adolescents. Objective This study estimates how youth’s concerns and hopes for the future influence the mental health outcomes of male and female children and adolescents. Participants and Setting Data were collected in face-to-face interviews with 517 children and adolescents (10–19 years old) who attended post-trafficking services between year 2010 and year 2013 in Cambodia, Thailand or Vietnam. Methods Multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the association of children and adolescents’ post-trafficking concerns and hopes for the future with mental health outcomes, namely symptoms of depression, anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The analysis was stratified by sex. Results In adjusted analysis, children and adolescents’ concerns about social ostracization and maltreatment by others in their community of origin were associated with all three outcomes in males and with depression in females. Being concerned about their own mental health was associated with all outcomes, with a potentially stronger effect observed in males for depression (AOR 9.14, CI:1.21–68.68), anxiety (AOR 13.47, CI:1.70–106.48) and PTSD (AOR 8.36, CI:1.22–56.9) than in females where the odds for depression (AOR 3.24, CI:1.92–5.48), anxiety (AOR 3.05, CI:1.82–5.11) and PTSD (AOR 1.85, CI:1.08–3.14) were much lower. Conclusions Young people’s post-trafficking care needs and reintegration planning should be designed based on their current mental health, personal security, family and financial resources and age-related capacity.?The rationality of groundwater governance in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta’s coastal zone.Thomas Hamer, Carel Dieperink, Van Pham Dang Tri, Henri?tte S. Otter and Piet Hoekstra. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 2019.Free full text?: This article assesses the rationality of the governance of the Vietnamese coastal zone’s water system. We first specify five assessment criteria, which we apply to a case study. Based on document analysis, stakeholder surveys and in-depth interviews, we found an average score on the criterion that relevant water system knowledge must be available. The scores on the criteria that water usage is systematically monitored, that the legal framework is complied with, that long-term human and wider ecological interests are addressed, and that governance is decentralized appeared to be low. The article concludes with some recommendations to change the governance system. [Hamer-etal-2019.pdf].?Reading the Youtube sitcom My best gay friends: what it means to be gay in Vietnam.Thi Huyen Linh Nguyen. Continuum, 2019, pp. 1-14.?Abstract: My Best Gay Friends is a Vietnamese gay sitcom web-series that was well received by Youtube viewers. It is very rare to find non-stigmatised representations of homosexual people in Vietnamese mainstream media, especially as main characters. This series was created by a group of gay, lesbian and transgender (GLT) people and was circulated through the online platform Youtube. The growth of the Internet as an alternative channel for creating and distributing media has led to the increasing visibility of homosexual people. The interactive nature of Youtube, which allows audiences to comment on each video, has left room for active engagement with, consumption of and production of media content. In this article I explore how Youtube as an alternative media platform is used to negotiate and construct ideas about subjectivity and sexualities. I read the representation of gay characters in the sitcom in the context of legal, societal and cultural discourses on LGBT issues in contemporary Vietnam. The textual analysis of the series and its comments will shed light on how homosexual visibility has been shaped by Vietnamese heteronormative culture, but also how heteronormativity has been challenged.????????????????HYPERLINK \l "_top"Back to top????***************************V? Th? NhaLibrarianWorld Bank Group63 Ly Thai To, Hanoi, VietnamTel.: +84-4-3934 6845Email:?nvu2@World Bank Vietnam web site?’s free documents and reports?’s free publications & research?’s free data & statistics??? ................
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