Sunday, August 12, 2012
Health in Vietnam (yahoo answers)
from yahoo answers
Stress, cancer, and contaminated food are the biggest health concerns in Vietnam, a study by marketing and market research firm Cimigo has found.
Stress, cancer, and contaminated food are the biggest health concerns in Vietnam, a study by marketing and market research firm Cimigo has found.
The “Understanding Vietnamese consumers’ healthy choices” survey polled
1,000 people aged between 15 and 40 in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and
other cities, The Saigon Times Daily reported Monday.
Stress topped the list of worries in fast-growing Vietnam, which hopes
to become industrialized by 2020, with 36 respondents saying it was
their top concern.
“The greatest fear is an invisible one: the plague of stress, which is
ranked as the highest concern,” Cimigo said, adding women are more
fearful than men.
Cancer and contaminated food followed, with 21 and 20 percent of respondents naming them.
“Strong concerns are voiced about pollution and food contamination – such as the recent melamine crisis,” the study said.
“Consumers look for increased safety and reassurance at all levels of
their food choices – like traceability, clarity on ingredients, and
information on origins.”
Other health concerns include skin and digestion problems, pollution, and poor eyesight.
...The World Health Organization (WHO) has been working side-by-side
with the Government and development partners in Viet Nam for more than
50 years and has played a critical role in disease control and
prevention.
The Organization has been at the forefront of numerous public health
efforts, assisting the Government in the elimination of poliomyelitis
and neonatal tetanus, devising strategies to combat public health
threats and setting standards across a range of public health issues.
Today, WHO’s close partnership the Vietnamese Government remains
stronger than ever – and we continue to formulate and implement health
programmes and activities to bring about better health and a better
quality of life for everyone in Viet Nam – particularly those most at
risk.
The recent rapid social and economic development of Viet Nam makes the
country a rewarding and exciting place to live and work. However, its
diverse social, economic and geographical mix also poses particular
challenges to public health.
Viet Nam’s health indices have improved substantially in recent years,
but the country is now facing a host of relatively new health problems
including Avian Influenza, which remains a serious public health threat
despite intensive prevention and control efforts.
More than 15,000 people die from road accidents every year, the HIV/AIDS
epidemic is escalating and the number of non-communicable or “lifestyle
diseases” such as tobacco-related diseases, cancer, heart disease and
diabetes has risen drastically in recent years. They now account for
nearly half of all deaths
Meanwhile, some communicable diseases continue to persist, such as tuberculosis (TB), dengue and parasitic diseases.WHO is helping Viet Nam face these current health challenges and
supporting its transition to a middle income country, by providing
expertise, developing appropriate systems and tools and advocating
policy change.Although WHO has been “doing business” in Viet Nam for half-a-century
our overall mission - to support Viet Nam in its quest to achieve the
highest attainable level of health for its people
Housing/ infrastructure Detailed info (Appendix 2)
(from EWB_Challenge_Design_Brief_-_Appendix_2_Habitat_for_Humanity_Vietnam.pdf, page3)
get the PDF from here:
Project statement
Construction is one of Habitat for Humanity’s main activities. Building and renovating houses to create safe,permanent homes with reliable water and sanitation facilities is an ongoing task of HFH. With the aim of improving the general quality of life of occupants, as well as providing improved protection against disasters and seasonal flooding. Your challenge will be to provide environmentally-friendly design proposals that will help achieve these aims.
Houses in the Mekong Delta are typically made from red clay brick and mortar or from bamboo.
Roofs are either galvanised steel or thatched coconut leaves;
both materials need to be replaced every 3 to 7 years.
Houses on average contain only 2 rooms (living and bedroom) with the kitchen and toilet facilities often located outside; it is common for each home to be occupied by 4 to 5 people.
It is also common for homes to experience pests such as mosquitoes and rats, especially during the nights.
Moreover, it is feared that many homes are in danger of rising water levels, with foundations, columns and flooring deteriorating quickly via inundation of salty water.
Other environmental issues facing housing design in the An Minh District is the impeding threat of large storms. Thus, houses would benefit from increased durability and adaptability to the changing weather conditions and rising sea levels.
Considerations
When designing a solution, the following issues have been identified and should be considered a priority. The proposal should:
*Explain measures taken that would help to reduce cost, construction time, and negative environmental impacts.
*Consider factors such as heating and cooling, lighting and the material selection.
*Use locally available materials that are culturally acceptable and environmentally friendly.
*Outline a strategy for coping with the risk of rising water levels and tidal changes.
Suggested Projects
EWB and Habitat for Humanity invite you to consider one or more of the following design projects:
· Improve the design of houses so that the floor and foundations are waterproof and can resist rising
water table along with the high salt concentrations it brings.
* Develop an environmentally friendly, durable and low-cost roof material using locally available
materials. Ideally the roof would also be suitable for rainwater collection. Please consider the
health and safety of the family, salt from ocean breeze and strong winds affecting families in the
Mekong Delta.
* Design a user-friendly educational program for local builders on housing maintenance and
construction; focusing on increasing the education levels and formal design skills of the local
builders.
* Develop a method of making coconut leaf walls and roofs more durable, pest-resistant, disaster resistant and strong enough so that they last up to ten years as oppose to 2.
* The Mekong Delta climate is hot all year round, with wet and dry seasons typically lasting 6 months each.
Households do not have access to air-conditioning or fans, and must rely on winds and the
household design to provide comfort. Develop a green / cool house construction design for this hot
climate in order to release heat and keep the household cool.
website info, Appendix 2
backround info from Appendix 2:
The Mekong Delta region is located in the Southern tip of Vietnam, it is one of the most productive agricultural regions in South East Asia, providing up to 50% of the Vietnam’s rice requirements.
Despite its importance it remains one of the poorest regions in Vietnam, lagging behind the rest of the country in areas such as education, and infrastructure. As an important agricultural region, the Mekong Delta is particularly vulnerable to environmental problems, and without sustainable management the future is uncertain.
Habitat for Humanity’s vision for the Mekong Delta is a place where every family has access to:
* safe housing,
* a clean water supply,
* and sanitation facilities.
In the past year HFHV volunteers have built and repaired 87 houses. HFHV has also run a microfinance program to help locals afford to upgrade their sanitation systems, as well as providing financial education and scholarships. HFHV places a high priority on sustainable solutions for their construction and repair projects, and using environmentally friendly building materials.
The Mekong Delta region is located in the Southern tip of Vietnam, it is one of the most productive agricultural regions in South East Asia, providing up to 50% of the Vietnam’s rice requirements.
Despite its importance it remains one of the poorest regions in Vietnam, lagging behind the rest of the country in areas such as education, and infrastructure. As an important agricultural region, the Mekong Delta is particularly vulnerable to environmental problems, and without sustainable management the future is uncertain.
Habitat for Humanity’s vision for the Mekong Delta is a place where every family has access to:
* safe housing,
* a clean water supply,
* and sanitation facilities.
In the past year HFHV volunteers have built and repaired 87 houses. HFHV has also run a microfinance program to help locals afford to upgrade their sanitation systems, as well as providing financial education and scholarships. HFHV places a high priority on sustainable solutions for their construction and repair projects, and using environmentally friendly building materials.
BAMBOO !!
"Bamboo has been identified as a sustainable housing construction material, both internationally and within other Habitat for Humanity affiliates in the Asia-Pacific region. Despite the benefits of using bamboo for houses, many people in Vietnam do not view bamboo as a first-choice construction material. Yet, in rural areas particularly, there are few alternative construction materials available to the locals."
ewb link
So building with bamboo is a definite research topic to consider...
Bamboo links:
wikipedia
Good points about Bamboo:
"Bamboos are some of the fastest growing plants in the world." -wikipedia
Cheap
local to Vietnam
Strong !!
The_Mechanical_Properties_of_Bamboo
youtube: Bamboo scaffolding across asia
youtube : bike made of bamboo
Bamboo structures
Floating bamboo restaurant
High end manufactured (pressed) bamboo modular components.
http://thebamboofactory.com/ (too expensive?)
Entire school made from bamboo
http://www.greenschool.org/
Bamboo Design and Construction:
http://bambooroo.net/about_bamboo.php
general botany:
Vasculur Bundle - the anatomy of xylem and pholem
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vascular_bundle
Bad points about bamboo:
long term use could make it rare and disrupt the environment
bamboo is probably home to may insects and animals.
Bamboo needs to be treated with 'Borax' to make it pest resistant
treating Bamboo for pest-resistance
http://bambooroo.net/about_bamboo.php
borax - treating agent:
http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/borax.html
EWB Document List
This blog was a quick solution to sharing files in case
people didnt like the skydrive system...
This can also serve as a Journal to our progress...
Here's a list of info you should have read by now.
Topic Handbook
* Intro to EWB
- what it is
- submission close date November 5
- 'showcase' 16-23 November
2. challenge areas:
- water sanitation, hygene
- Waste Management
- Housing Design and Constructions
- Energy
- ICT
- Transport
- HFHV - Habitat for Humanitarian Vietnam
- see Appendix 2 for MeeKong Delta information
-Region is the Mekong Delta, district is Ahn Minh
HFHV Appendix 2: (More Details on challenge Areas.)
1. cover letter
2. Intro to the challenge
more specific details:
Design Area 1 Housing and Infrastructure
Design Area 2 Water Supply and Sanitation Systems
Design Area 3 Energy
Design Area 4 Waste Management
Design Area 5 Transport
Design Area 6 ICT
EWB website
www.ewb.org.au
HFHV (Habitat for Humanitarian Vietnam)
http://www.habitatvietnam.org/
Background Info for the Challenge
http://www.ewb.org.au/explore/initiatives/ewbchallenge/hfhewbchallenge
- forums
Things to keep in mind
*Team Name : Black 2
- emails sent out, need to confirm with everyone.
- this blog sent out
* Remember - we are not limited to these areas of design, but new areas requires research.
* EWB Forums for help
* We dont have to solve any major problems to pass the topic, we just have to try , and document our attempt.
people didnt like the skydrive system...
This can also serve as a Journal to our progress...
Here's a list of info you should have read by now.
Topic Handbook
* Intro to EWB
- what it is
- submission close date November 5
- 'showcase' 16-23 November
2. challenge areas:
- water sanitation, hygene
- Waste Management
- Housing Design and Constructions
- Energy
- ICT
- Transport
- HFHV - Habitat for Humanitarian Vietnam
- see Appendix 2 for MeeKong Delta information
-Region is the Mekong Delta, district is Ahn Minh
HFHV Appendix 2: (More Details on challenge Areas.)
1. cover letter
2. Intro to the challenge
more specific details:
Design Area 1 Housing and Infrastructure
Design Area 2 Water Supply and Sanitation Systems
Design Area 3 Energy
Design Area 4 Waste Management
Design Area 5 Transport
Design Area 6 ICT
EWB website
www.ewb.org.au
HFHV (Habitat for Humanitarian Vietnam)
http://www.habitatvietnam.org/
Background Info for the Challenge
http://www.ewb.org.au/explore/initiatives/ewbchallenge/hfhewbchallenge
- forums
Things to keep in mind
*Team Name : Black 2
- emails sent out, need to confirm with everyone.
- this blog sent out
* Remember - we are not limited to these areas of design, but new areas requires research.
* EWB Forums for help
* We dont have to solve any major problems to pass the topic, we just have to try , and document our attempt.
Team "Black2" Emails
this email sent out on sunday noonish...
hi everyone -
here's everyones emails - pls let me know
if you prefer another email to be used - and send it to me !
and simon - which simon are you ?
My apologies to the other Simon.
Branden Thomas
dtotemqf@hotmail.com
Simon Clarke
clar0704@flinders.edu.au
Simon Rawnsley
rawn0010@flinders.edu.au
Kevin Clark
clar0737@flinders.edu.au
Damen McCarl
mcca0356@flinders.edu.au
Daniel Phillis
daniel.phillis@gmail.com
Briana Basile
basi0019@flinders.edu.au
Jess Kneebone
knee0024@flinders.edu.au
cheers
dan
hi everyone -
here's everyones emails - pls let me know
if you prefer another email to be used - and send it to me !
and simon - which simon are you ?
My apologies to the other Simon.
Branden Thomas
dtotemqf@hotmail.com
Simon Clarke
clar0704@flinders.edu.au
Simon Rawnsley
rawn0010@flinders.edu.au
Kevin Clark
clar0737@flinders.edu.au
Damen McCarl
mcca0356@flinders.edu.au
Daniel Phillis
daniel.phillis@gmail.com
Briana Basile
basi0019@flinders.edu.au
Jess Kneebone
knee0024@flinders.edu.au
cheers
dan
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