Doctors from the Vietnam-Cuba friendship hospital have coordinated with the US’s Operation Smile to provide surgery for 82 children with harelip and cleft palate from the northern provinces of Bac Giang, Nam Dinh and Tuyen Quang in the past two weeks.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) had adopted the UNSC Chair’s Statement prepared by Vietnam in addition to introducing orientations for new actions related to healthcare, education, and technical assistance to address long-term consequences of armed conflicts to children and speed up the implementation of related legal documents, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem called for a long-term and comprehensive solution to children affected by armed conflict (CAAC) at an open debate of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in New York on July 17.

The report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says Vietnam, together with Myanmar, is the country that have made remarkable progress in implementing the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Over 5,400 Vietnamese heroic mothers are provided with care by agencies, organisations, enterprises and individuals.

Cam Giang spends time with a special club in Vinh Tuy Ward, where old folks infected with HIV get a new lease on life through vocational training and activities such as baloon folding.

Many conferences and workshops have been held and many extensive campaigns have been launched against human trafficking. However, the criminals are still at large. How can the country find an effective measure to stop this serious crime?

The face of an eight-year old girl in a pink dress brightens when she talks about her class and her games with friends. She also likes singing. Looking at her, no-one would imagine that this optimistic and happy girl, Nguyen Thi Xuan is living with HIV/AIDS.

In Vietnam,’ empathy clubs’ are helping to ease the stress felt by older carers of people living with HIV and AIDS.

Vietnam Military Telecommunication Corporation (Viettel) has committed in partnership with the Operation Smile Vietnam organisation to funding operations for about 100 - 120 children suffering harelips and cleft palates, who are living in the northern rural areas, in July, 2008.