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News
and Events
Long An Health Department: A Promising Future
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Dr. Huu |
“We are now on our upward trend
towards a brighter future”, said Dr. Tran Ngoc Huu, director of the Long
An Health Department.
Long An Province is one of the
twelve provinces in the Mekong Delta bordering Cambodia. It has 13
districts and one town, with a total population of 1,347,731 people.
Much of Long An Province is located in the Dong Thap Muoi lowland area,
which has an elevation of no more than 5 meters above sea level.
Flooding is common and the land can be submerged as much as 3 months of
the year.
The average income in the province is around
$300 per capital per year. Much of the population relies on rice
production, which is highly susceptible to seasonal
fluctuations. |
Infrastructure is poor and many districts have no
paved roads, limited electricity and an inadequate school system. Health
problems are widespread due to the use of untreated rainwater in the
rainy season, and river, canal, and pond water in the dry season. Other
common water related diseases in the area include cholera, typhoid and
dysentery.
Church World Service Vietnam began
supporting the Long An Health Department in 1985 with medical equipment
and enhanced training for medical personnel. Currently, CWS is providing
support through the project “Public Health Care Development for Long An
Province”. This project will improve water quality in 36 rural clinics
and district hospitals, providing over 500,000 residents with access to
health centers with clean water supply.
“We highly appreciate what CWS
Vietnam has been bringing to Long An Province and Long An people”, said
Dr. Huu. This current project will last three years and is worth over
$170,000 USD.
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