Dr. Nguyen Viet Hung holds a PhD in Life and Environmental Sciences. As a project leader of the NCCR North-South, he is working on the interface between environment and health, focusing on the impact of sanitation on health with an interdisciplinary approach. He is currently working for the Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research at the Hanoi School of Public Health and is a joint appointee of ILRI and Swiss TPH.
(http://cenpher.hsph.edu.vn/english/staff/nguyen_hung)
Dr. Nguyen (left) and Dr. Pink (right) at the UNU-INWEH WaSH & Wellbeing Conference at McMaster University.
Q1. Can you briefly describe your work in Vietnam?
I work for the Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research (CENPHER), at Hanoi School of Public Health (HSPH) in Hanoi, Vietnam. We work on the interface between environment and health with a focus on water and sanitation, food safety and zoonosis. I also work for the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (SwissTPH).
Q2: What are the biggest challenges in Vietnam regarding water rights?
To provide clean water to rural and remote areas.
Q3: What are the biggest challenges in Vietnam regarding sanitation rights?
To provide hygienic sanitation to rural and remote areas and fecal sludge management.
Q4: What is the Vietnamese government doing to support water and sanitation development?
Vietnam has had National Target Programs (NTP) for water and sanitation, developed many national and international partnerships for improvement of water and sanitation
Q5: What is the health impact of unsafe water and sanitation upon the people in your region?
This is unclear as we lack serious studies to evaluate the impact of unsafe water and sanitation.
Q6: What specifically can NGOs do to help the situation in Vietnam?
NGOs (in particular INGOs) have contributed significantly to improving WASH situation in Vietnam. They have done interventions in the field (provide water supply: tube-wells (but be careful with As contamination – lesson learnt from Bangladesh, piped water… and sanitation facilities: double vault latrine, septic tanks, biogas…) and formed working group to advocate the government on WASH matters
Q7: Can you describe the conditions in the rural areas of Vietnam regarding water and sanitation?
From a MDG point of view and reporting of the government, Vietnam basically met the MDG for water and sanitation. However in rural areas the water and sanitation situation is still very poor, in particular for remote areas.
Q8: To what extent does water and sanitation problems impact children in your region and what are the common water-borne diseases ?
As mentioned above, we have very few data on impact of WASH on health and children in Vietnam. The common water-borne diseases is diarrhea.
(http://cenpher.hsph.edu.vn/english/staff/nguyen_hung)
Dr. Nguyen (left) and Dr. Pink (right) at the UNU-INWEH WaSH & Wellbeing Conference at McMaster University.
Q1. Can you briefly describe your work in Vietnam?
I work for the Center for Public Health and Ecosystem Research (CENPHER), at Hanoi School of Public Health (HSPH) in Hanoi, Vietnam. We work on the interface between environment and health with a focus on water and sanitation, food safety and zoonosis. I also work for the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (SwissTPH).
Q2: What are the biggest challenges in Vietnam regarding water rights?
To provide clean water to rural and remote areas.
Q3: What are the biggest challenges in Vietnam regarding sanitation rights?
To provide hygienic sanitation to rural and remote areas and fecal sludge management.
Q4: What is the Vietnamese government doing to support water and sanitation development?
Vietnam has had National Target Programs (NTP) for water and sanitation, developed many national and international partnerships for improvement of water and sanitation
Q5: What is the health impact of unsafe water and sanitation upon the people in your region?
This is unclear as we lack serious studies to evaluate the impact of unsafe water and sanitation.
Q6: What specifically can NGOs do to help the situation in Vietnam?
NGOs (in particular INGOs) have contributed significantly to improving WASH situation in Vietnam. They have done interventions in the field (provide water supply: tube-wells (but be careful with As contamination – lesson learnt from Bangladesh, piped water… and sanitation facilities: double vault latrine, septic tanks, biogas…) and formed working group to advocate the government on WASH matters
Q7: Can you describe the conditions in the rural areas of Vietnam regarding water and sanitation?
From a MDG point of view and reporting of the government, Vietnam basically met the MDG for water and sanitation. However in rural areas the water and sanitation situation is still very poor, in particular for remote areas.
Q8: To what extent does water and sanitation problems impact children in your region and what are the common water-borne diseases ?
As mentioned above, we have very few data on impact of WASH on health and children in Vietnam. The common water-borne diseases is diarrhea.
