U.S. Government supports new HIV/AIDS outpatient clinic in Ho Chi Minh City

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

HO CHI MINH CITY  –  Senior U.S. and Vietnamese officials presided at the opening of an outpatient clinic for people living with HIV/AIDS in District 9, Ho Chi Minh City, thus expanding those critical care and prevention services already provided by U.S. Government programs in the city.

Three U.S.-Funded Activities to Promote Better Health, More Jobs for the Disabled Launched in Danang

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

DANANG, October 29, 2008 – Vietnamese and U.S. officials today officially launched three activities to help persons with disabilities in Danang access health services and gain skills to find jobs. Funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), these new projects totaling $1 million will be implemented by the East Meets West Foundation (EMW), Save the Children, and Vietnam Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH).

USAID and Partners Support Coral Triangle Initiative to Protect Six Nations' Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

Monday, October 27, 2008

MANILA – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) expects to spend nearly $40 million to support the international effort to save the Coral Triangle, the world’s greatest expanse of mangroves, coral reefs and diversity of fish, currently under threat from pollution, unsustainable fishing practices and climate change.

RDMA Launches Program to Improve Water, Sanitation in SE Asia

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

BANGKOK – RDMA is beginning a five-year, $17-million Global Development Alliance (GDA) to improve household water supplies, sanitation and hygiene among lower-income households in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network Trains Vietnamese Forest Rangers

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

HANOI – The ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) trained 27 Vietnamese Forest Protection Department officials in wildlife crime

RDMA Funds Project to Promote Energy Efficiency in Buildings in China

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

BANGKOK – USAID awarded a three-year, $2 million cooperative agreement to ICF International to reduce energy consumption in China’s rapidly expanding building sector.

RDMA to Pledge Support for Coral Triangle Initiative at Manila Meeting

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

BANGKOK – USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) will detail its monetary support for the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) – a multinational effort to improve the marine and coastal resources in Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and the Solomon Islands – at the second CTI Senior Official’s Meeting in Manila on Oct. 23.

United States Supports Vietnamese with Disabilities

Monday, October 13, 2008

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has provided over $2.6 million to extend two projects that aim to assist people with disabilities throughout Vietnamese society. These projects will be implemented by the Viet Nam Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

United States Extends Assistance to Combat Human Trafficking

Thursday, October 09, 2008

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded $760,000 to extend two projects focused on combatting human trafficking in Vietnam. USAID’s implementing partners for these activities are the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) and the An Giang/Dong Thap Alliance for the Prevention of Trafficking (ADAPT).

The United States Provides Grants to Fight HIV/AIDS in Vietnam

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

The United States Embassy has announced three new grants totaling more that $28.5 million for projects aimed at combating the spread of HIV/AIDS in Vietnam. These contracts will be implemented through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). 

Three U.S. Grants Enhance Health and Create Jobs for the Disabled in Danang, Vietnam

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

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.

U.S.-Funded Boarding School for Disadvantaged Opens in Kon Tum Province

Friday, September 19, 2008

U.S. Ambassador Michael Michalak today joined representatives of Kon Tum’s People's Committee and other local authorities to inaugurate the Kon Ray Ethnic Minority Boarding School. The school, which serves lower secondary students in the province, is funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Cleaner Coal Technologies Crucial for Meeting Energy Demand and Reducing Carbon Emissions in Asia

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Ha Long City, Vietnam – More than 100 energy experts voiced support for accelerated use of cleaner coal technologies to limit environmental degradation from rapidly increasing coal use in Asia.

Agreement Signed with WaterLinks To Accelerate the Delivery of Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation to the People of Asia

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), International Water Association (IWA) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed an agreement at World Water Week to establish an Asiawide partnership called WaterLinks that will help provide clean drinking water and sanitation throughout the region by coordinating, promoting and aligning efforts to create Water Operators Partnerships (WOPs).

President and Mrs. Bush Visit USAID-Funded Centers, Briefed on Burma Relief

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

President George W. Bush visited an AIDS hospice supported the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Laura Bush met with the director of a USAID-funded clinic that provides free medical care to Burmese refugees and migrant workers. The Bushes also attended briefings on USAID’s ongoing efforts in Burma to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis.

USAID’s Administrator Visits China, Vietnam

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

US Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Henrietta H. Fore led a delegation of U.S. business leaders and rescue organizations to China to assist in earthquake reconstruction efforts, and then flew to Vietnam to open a new USAID mission and expand USAID programs there.

RDMA Launches Website

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

USAID’s Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) celebrated its fifth anniversary today with the launch of this website. The site will provide breaking news and updates on RDMA’s programs throughout Asia.

Leading Lighting Companies Sign Quality-Assurance Pact

Friday, June 06, 2008

The world’s three largest lighting companies signed an agreement at a USAID-Asian Development Bank conference on June 6 to establish quality standards for compact fluorescent lamps (CFL).

USAID Provides Additional $3 Million in Assistance to the Burmese People in Cyclone Aftermath

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), are providing an additional $3 million dollars in initial assistance to help meet the most urgent needs of the Burmese people in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis.

USAID, National Ministries Taking Steps to Stop Spread of Deadly, Multi-Drug Resistant Malaria in Asia

Friday, April 25, 2008

Evidence is emerging that malaria parasites from Cambodia’s border with Thailand are increasingly tolerant to the most effective therapies against multi-drug resistant malaria. Recognizing the global threat of ACT resistance, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) resources are now being used to build health systems and strengthen overall capacity...

USAID & MTV Join Forces to Fight Human Trafficking in Asia

Friday, April 18, 2008

USAID RDMA and the MTV Europe Foundation have united to prevent human trafficking in Asia through the MTV EXIT – or End Exploitation and Trafficking – campaign.

Three New Regional Task Orders Under ADVANCE

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

ADVANCE (ASEAN Development Vision to Advance National Cooperation and Economic Integration) is the main U.S. Government mechanism for achieving the developmental goals established under the ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership Plan of Action and signed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in July 2006.  It will complement the ASEAN-U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA) signed by U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab in August 2006.

USAID recently launched three regional programs under ADVANCE:

• The ASEAN-US Technical Assistance and Training Facility to deliver policy studies, assessments, training, technical assistance, and other activities grouped in 15 activity streams.
• The ASEAN Single Window Program to support the development and implementation of a clearance system that will enable the single submission and processing of customs data and a single point of decision-making in clearance.
• The Regional Supply Chain/Competitiveness Program to promote regional market integration for the development of the ASEAN region as a unified, competitive market able to attract increased foreign and domestic investment.

USAID Opens Supply Center to Contain Bird Flu Outbreaks

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has opened a regional supply center in Thailand to combat outbreaks of avian influenza. Strategically located near Bangkok’s international airport, the warehouse can ship protective equipment, decontamination kits and laboratory equipment to hotspots anywhere in Asia within 24 hours.

Leaders Discuss Need for Regional Reforms at SEA CLIR Trade Forum

Friday, March 21, 2008

Opinion leaders from five Southeast Asian nations voiced their support for measures to improve trade, deepen regional and global integration, and build a stronger business environment within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

U.S. Government Launches Comprehensive Development Assistance Program for ASEAN

Monday, February 25, 2008

The U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a comprehensive development assistance program to help the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) reach its goal of establishing a peaceful, prosperous and stable community of nations – the ASEAN Community – by 2015.

Longtail Fishing Boat Repair Center & Pier Open

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Leading U.S. and Thai officials dedicated a new Longtail Fishing Boat Pier and Repair Center in Taplamu Village, Lam Kaen Tambol, Phang-nga Province. The facility will improve the livelihoods of the fisher folk and help promote tourism in one of the areas hardest hit in Thailand by the 2004 tsunami. 

Tsunami Reconstruction, Three Years Later

Saturday, December 22, 2007

In the days immediately following the December 26, 2004 tsunami and earthquake, swift action by the U.S. government, in cooperation with other donors and private organizations, ensured critical needs for water and sanitation were met, thus preventing a secondary disaster-related health crisis from occurring.

International Partners Weigh Long-term Challenges as Tsunami Warning System Meets Initial Targets

Friday, December 07, 2007

A functioning, interconnected tsunami warning system is now operating in the Indian Ocean, although it still faces challenges in sustainability. An international group of representatives recently met to discuss the past accomplishments and future goals of the warning system at a workshop sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

U.S. Government Sponsors Workshop on Development of New Disability Law

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Top government officials will meet at the Army Guest House today [July 31] for a workshop to start developing Vietnam’s new Disability Law.

U.S. Funds Seminar for Judges on Vietnam's WTO commitments

Monday, July 30, 2007

Judge Delissa R. Ridgway of the U.S. Court of International Trade and other legal experts will conduct a two-day seminar for Vietnam's judges on the implications of WTO membership for Vietnam’s judiciary.

USAID Promoting Biodiversity While Raising Incomes of Rural Poor

Friday, July 27, 2007

Vietnam and the United States will launch a major conservation program on August 1 that will preserve the biodiversity and improve natural resources management in Vietnam’s largest river basin. The Dong Nai River Basin Conservation Landscape Project, which will be funded by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), will also raise the incomes of the region's rural poor.

USAID Funds Disaster Management Project in Danang

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Nearly 200 officials from Cam Le district in Danang are taking disaster-management training courses this summer to reduce the coastal area’s vulnerability to typhoons and other disasters. Cam Le suffered extensive damage during last year's Typhoon Xangsane.

USAID Increases Assistance to Battle Malaria Along the Thai-Burma Border

Thursday, July 12, 2007

In response to heightened malaria epidemic threat levels, the U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) is increasing assistance to malaria prevention and control efforts along the Thailand-Burma border. USAID, through its partner the International Rescue Committee (IRC), will provide funding to health agencies working on the border to procure over 12,000 long-lasting, insecticide-treated bed nets and 53,000 rapid-diagnostic testing kits for malaria.

USAID Highlights Regional Cooperation in Training for Environmental Inspectors

Monday, June 25, 2007

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) will conduct training sessions for environmental inspectors in southern, central and northern Vietnam in July to support the government's recent decision to strengthen environmental inspection. Class members will include inspectors from MoNRE and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

With Massive Tsunami Drill, Thailand Seeks Good, and Bad, Results

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Thailand has seen a steady rise in tourism since the cataclysmic tsunami struck its beaches on December 26, 2004. To make sure that visitors and residents are safe from any future disaster, the Thai Government staged a national tsunami exercise on July 25, 2007 that involved as many as 100,000 people. It was the largest drill of its kind ever conducted in the region and involved evacuations of 24 communities.

US Provides Job Training to Ethnic Minorities and Disabled People in Kon Tum

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

A $400,000 grant through the U.S. Agency for International Development will provide job training to 140 Central Highlands ethnic minorities and disabled youth so they can be more productive and better integrated into the community.

Action Needed Now To Cut Greenhouse Gases and Meet Future Energy Demand in Asia

Friday, June 08, 2007

Developing Asian nations could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slash energy consumption by adopting clean energy solutions outlined in From Ideas to Action: Clean Energy Solutions for Asia to Address Climate Change, a report released by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

From Ideas to Action: Clean Energy Solutions for Asia to Address Climate Change paints a sobering picture of the consequences if rising energy consumption continues to follow current trends in Asia’s six major developing nations, including China, India and Vietnam.

HIV/AIDS Program Turning Into Model

Thursday, May 31, 2007

As a child growing up during China’s Cultural Revolution, Pan Shao Fang was taught to distrust the American people. Now, as vice mayor of a city on the China-Vietnam border, Pan is embracing Americans as partners in her fight against HIV/AIDS.

Kamphuan Memorial Tsunami Museum opens in Ranong Province

Friday, May 04, 2007

Scores of local residents attended the opening of Asia’s first community-based tsunami education museum in Ranong province last week.

The Kamphuan Memorial Tsunami Museum, housed in the Tambon Kamphuan Community Learning Center, focuses on the December 26, 2004 tsunami that devastated five nearby fishing villages and tells how the area’s 5,000 residents responded to the disaster and are now rebuilding their lives.

'Clean Hands, Zero Bird Flu' Program Launched in Thailand's Schools

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Colgate-Palmolive Thailand and Thailand’s ministries of public health and education have joined USAID and the Kenan Institute of Asia to launch a "Clean Hands, Zero Bird Flu" program for school children.