Campaign medal "For the cause of Vietnam Social Security" awarded to the head of the USAID in Vietnam
03/06/2022 02:55 PM
On the afternoon of June 6 in Hanoi, Minister Trần Hồng Hà received and presented the Medal for the Cause of Natural Resources and Environment to Ms. Ann Marie Yastishock, Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Vietnam, and Ms. Christine Gandomi, Acting Director of the Climate Change, Energy, and Environment Program.
During the meeting, Minister Trần Hồng Hà congratulated Ms. Ann Marie Yastishock and Ms. Christine Gandomi on successfully completing their terms in Vietnam.
The Minister was pleased to learn that after completing her tenure in Vietnam, Ms. Yastishock would assume a new role as USAID’s Regional Director for Asia. He expressed his hope that in her new position, Ms. Yastishock would continue to promote cooperative relations between USAID and relevant Vietnamese agencies in the fields of environment and climate. At the same time, he wished Ms. Christine success in her new role as USAID Director in South Africa.
Regarding the cooperation between the two sides, Minister Trần Hồng Hà emphasized that Vietnam and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) highly value their friendship and collaboration with USAID. He appreciated USAID’s active support for Vietnam in the field of natural resources and environment, particularly in climate change adaptation and environmental protection. This includes activities such as pollution control and connecting with other relevant U.S. partners to implement environmental protection initiatives and climate change responses.
In response, Ms. Ann Marie Yastishock acknowledged that Vietnam is currently facing severe climate change challenges in the Mekong Delta, ocean plastic pollution, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss. While Vietnam has taken strong actions to address these issues, she noted that additional support from international partners is still necessary. She affirmed that USAID is ready to work alongside MONRE and Vietnam as a whole to achieve common goals.
Minister Trần Hồng Hà and Ms. Ann Marie Yastishock expressed confidence that the cooperative and friendly relationship between Vietnam, MONRE, and USAID will continue to strengthen. They hoped that collaboration in the field of natural resources and the environment would further develop and yield more concrete and positive results.
To recognize the contributions of Ms. Ann Marie Yastishock and Ms. Christine Gandomi, MONRE awarded them the Medal for the Cause of Natural Resources and Environment. This is the Ministry’s highest honor for individuals who have made significant contributions to the natural resources and environment sector upon completing their assignments.
On behalf of the Ministry of Health leadership, Professor Dr. Trần Văn Thuấn, Deputy Minister of Health, presented the "For the People's Health" Medal to Ms. Ritu Singh Walia, Director of the Health Program at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Vietnam.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister Trần Văn Thuấn congratulated and expressed gratitude for Ms. Ritu Singh Walia’s contributions, especially in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Vietnam.
"To recognize Ms. Ritu Singh Walia’s dedication to the cause of public health in Vietnam in general and the HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in particular, on July 14, the Ministry of Health leadership signed the decision to award her the ‘For the People's Health’ Medal. I wish Ms. Ritu Singh Walia success in her new term and many fond memories of Vietnam and its people," said the Deputy Minister.
Over the past four years (since 2018), as the Director of the USAID Health Program in Vietnam, Ms. Ritu Singh Walia has made significant contributions to Vietnam’s health and development goals, particularly in HIV/AIDS prevention. She has served as a bridge for healthcare cooperation between U.S. and Vietnamese government agencies in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Ms. Ritu Singh Walia has advocated for the U.S. government to maintain financial and technical support for Vietnam’s health programs, particularly HIV/AIDS prevention.
Her support for the Vietnamese government extends beyond HIV/AIDS prevention to programs addressing tuberculosis, avian influenza, and other infectious diseases. Along with other U.S. agencies, she played a key role in mobilizing over 39 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for Vietnam since 2020.
Additionally, she worked closely with USAID Washington to advocate for the APRA Fund and led USAID’s efforts to implement this fund in Vietnam. This initiative provided essential medical supplies for COVID-19 prevention, including oxygen concentrators, personal protective equipment (PPE), N95 masks, syringes, and other medical devices.
Expressing her deep emotions upon receiving the "For the People's Health" Medal—one of the highest honors in Vietnam’s health sector—Ms. Ritu Singh Walia sincerely thanked the Ministry of Health leadership. She regarded the award as a tremendous honor in her career.
On this occasion, Ms. Ritu Singh Walia also commended Vietnam’s healthcare achievements, particularly in HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention.
She reaffirmed her commitment to continuing her support for Vietnam’s healthcare sector, especially in HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis prevention. She emphasized the importance of negotiations on drug pricing through health insurance and the reallocation of ARV drug reserves to ensure uninterrupted treatment for HIV patients.
Ms. Ritu Singh Walia expressed her hope that both sides would maintain and further strengthen their effective cooperation in the future.
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