Bill Gates does charity in Vietnam

Microsoft Chairman and his wife visited a health station in the outskirt of Hanoi Monday morning. That’s the health station of Trung Mau Commune, Gia Lam District, where receives aid from the Bill & Melinda Gates fund for vaccinations.

Vu Thi Oanh, chief of the Trung Mau commune health station, said that April 2 was the day for vaccination of seven types of vaccines for children from 0-12 months.

During two hours (8-10am) in Trung Mau commune, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates and Vietnamese health officials inspected the vaccination, management task and working procedures of the health station.

Bill Gates and his wife directly witnessed the operations of doctors and nurses and the vaccine maintenance equipment at the health station.

They also came to some local families to ask about the extended vaccination programme in the commune and to see how is the health of local women and children.

At 6.15pm of April 2, Bill Gates met with officials of the Ministries of Health, Finance and Planning and Investment at the Hilton Hotel to talk about funding for Vietnam.

At a party held by Bill Gates and his wife, Deputy Minister of Health Trinh Quan Huan proposed Bill & Melinda Fund to provide vaccines for the extended vaccination programme of Vietnam as well as support the HIV/AIDS control programme in the country.

In a talk with reporters, Mr Huan said that Bill Gates highly appreciated the expanded vaccination programme of Vietnam.

Today, April 3, Bill Gates and his wife will meet with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and worked with the Central Hygiene and Epidemic Prevention Institute on vaccination programmed funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Fund. They signed a project worth $245,000 to vaccinate HPV to prevent cervical cancer for around 800 girls from 11-13 years old.

HPV is the only cancer prevention vaccine used in 59 countries. This kind of vaccine may be officially sold in Vietnam this year’s end. However, it is difficult to spread the use of this vaccine since its price is high, around $100/injection while each woman needs up to three shots.

Source: VietNamNet