HANOI, Vietnam -- The United States Embassy today announced three agreements totaling approximately $1 million to help residents of Danang access health services and gain skills to find jobs.  These grants will be implemented through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and is part of the ongoing commitment of the United States to assist the disabled in Vietnam.  This assistance package is part of $3 million appropriated by the U.S. Congress for dioxin mitigation and health assistance activities, which targets individuals with disabilities.  Other programs and activities will follow soon.

"We are very pleased to make these resources available for the welfare of the people of Danang," said U.S. Ambassador Michael Michalak. "These funds will make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of Vietnamese."

Of this $1 million, 40% will be used to connect an urban rehabilitation center with all seven district health dispensaries in the Danang area to provide quality services and education in rehabilitative medicine. The American Rehabilitation Center at Binh Dan hospital and a satellite health dispensary in the rural district of Hoa Vang will be equipped and refurbished to support the other districts. The Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped organization will help people with disabilities and their families improve their social and economic status and integration, and help local authorities, health service providers, disabled organizations and others develop and enforce programs that increase resources for disability.

A second USAID partner, Save the Children USA, will use an additional 40% of this funding to create employment. In partnership with the Danang Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA) and Inclusive Development Action (IDEA), this program will expand employment and income generation opportunities for people with disabilities and their households by promoting formal sector employment and self-employment for people with disabilities.

The third partner, the East Meets West Foundation, will utilize their grant to improve the quality of life for persons living with disabilities in Danang province, particularly children with disabilities.  Key activities will include medical and social screening for people with disabilities, corrective surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation services, scholarships for children with disabilities, and community-based rehabilitation.

Through its activities since 2000, the U.S. government has worked with the Government of Vietnam to help speed up the country's transition to an open, market-based economy, increase prevention and treat cases of HIV/AIDS, improve vulnerable groups' access to educational and other social services, and ensure that environmental governance progresses along with economic and social development. For more information, visit: www.usaid.gov.

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