A representative from Viet Nam's Ministry of Health recently held discussions with the heads of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in Viet Nam on supporting VietNam's efforts to tackle air pollution.
In the meeting, the UNDP and WHO representatives proposed a joint initiative to support Vietnam's efforts to address air pollution. The goal is to help VietNam achieve clean air for everyone by enhancing air quality management and encouraging public engagement in mitigating the impacts of air pollution.
The proposed areas of cooperation and support will focus on establishing a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for air quality management. This includes policy recommendations to improve Viet Nam's legal, regulatory, and institutional frameworks, such as reviewing existing regulations against international standards and setting clear national, city/provincial, and local guidelines, standards, and rules for air quality management. Additionally, capacity-building initiatives for policymakers and government officials on air quality management and implementation of guidelines were discussed, such as knowledge-sharing programs with peer countries and supporting VietNam's participation in international and regional conferences.
Furthermore, UNDP-WHO proposed assisting Viet Nam in developing air quality monitoring data, forecasting, and early warning systems. This involves strengthening air quality sensor networks, improving forecasting capabilities, establishing real-time public warning systems, and enhancing emergency response capabilities. They also emphasized the need for improved coordination across government levels, sectors, and stakeholders and a coordination mechanism to improve policy implementation.
UNDP-WHO representatives also noted that Vietnam needs to strengthen its understanding of air pollution's health and socio-economic impacts. They offered support in methods for data collection and impact estimation and technical assistance on standardization methods, data, and outcomes. Public awareness campaigns on the health impacts of air pollution and self-protection measures were suggested, including educational campaigns for high-risk communities and integrating air quality education into school curricula. Local-level interventions to reduce air pollution were also proposed.
The Ministry of Health agreed with the UNDP and WHO proposals, stating that it would initially work with the Pollution Control Department (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) to decide on content and methods for coordination with UNDP and WHO to organize a national conference and sign a cooperation agreement. Subsequently, the Ministry of Health, Natural Resources and Environment, UNDP, and WHO representatives will convene to finalize implementation plans.
According to the Department of Environmental Management (Ministry of Health), in recent years, air pollution in Viet Nam has been steadily rising in urban areas due to population growth, rapid urbanization, increasing motor vehicle use, and accelerated industrialization. This has significantly impacted the health of Vietnamese citizens.
Thus, the Ministry of Health has requested UNDP and WHO support additional research to comprehensively assess common diseases linked to environmental characteristics in Viet Nam. Experienced international research organizations may be selected to coordinate with Vietnamese units, as advanced research methods and modern equipment are required. This will enhance Vietnamese researchers' understanding of air pollution's health impacts.