During the meeting, a representative from the Center for Community Health Initiatives (C.CIHP), the managing organization for the project, made a brief of the “Support to Improve the Quality of Life for Persons with Disabilities in Provinces Heavily Sprayed with Agent Orange” project (Inclusion Project). This project, approved by the Prime Minister under Decision No. 1276/QD-TTg dated July 20, 2021, has the Ministry of National Defense as the managing body, USAID as the funding agency, and NACCET as the project investor. C.CIHP is responsible for project management, with direct implementation by organizations including MCNV, ACDC, and the AAI Consortium in Region 1 (Quang Tri, Quang Nam, and Thua Thien Hue).

The project, scheduled to run for five years (2021-2026), aims to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities in areas heavily affected by Agent Orange through three specific objectives: expanding medical support and rehabilitation services to enhance the health and quality of life for people with disabilities; expanding social services to bolster social inclusion and provide direct support to improve the living conditions of people with disabilities; and improving policies, public attitudes, and reducing barriers to ensure social inclusion for people with disabilities.

As of June 2024, in Quang Tri alone, approximately 3,035 people with disabilities have received rehabilitation and care services, 2,102 family members of people with disabilities have received training and support from the project, and 115 healthcare professionals have enhanced their rehabilitation skills through various training programs.

Speaking at the meeting, Vice Chairman Hoang Nam expressed his pleasure in welcoming the joint working group from USAID and NACCET, particularly regarding the Inclusion Project, which is one of the significant and comprehensive projects supporting people with disabilities. He greatly valued the support from USAID and NACCET in funding and implementing the project in the province. He also requested that USAID consider adjusting the project’s targets to better align with the actual situation in the province, increase the budget for livelihood support, as most households with people with disabilities are also economically disadvantaged, and develop a software to update the province’s disability database. Additionally, he called for more support in providing rehabilitation equipment for the healthcare sector and enhancing early disability screening and intervention efforts. Moreover, Quang Tri hopes that USAID and NACCET will consider expanding project activities and coverage in the province after June 2025.

On the local side, Vice Chairman Hoang Nam committed to ensuring the highest level of cooperation, with the coordination of relevant provincial agencies and organizations, to effectively implement the project and achieve its goal of supporting people with disabilities under the principle of “leaving no one behind.”

USAID Director in Vietnam, Aler Grubbs, and NACCET Director General, Major General Ha Van Cu, thanked the provincial leadership for their time and commended Quang Tri’s strong engagement in coordinating the implementation of projects for people with disabilities and post-war bomb and mine remediation activities. Ms. Grubbs emphasized that the joint mission of USAID and NACCET demonstrates the U.S. government’s strong commitment to Quang Tri. She acknowledged the feedback and concerns raised by Vice Chairman Hoang Nam regarding the challenges faced during project implementation and took note of his suggestions for future activities. She affirmed that efforts would be strengthened to further improve the quality of life for people with disabilities in Quang Tri.

Following the meeting with provincial leaders, the delegation also held in-depth discussions with project implementation partners to identify difficulties, challenges, and timely solutions. During their visit to Quang Tri, the delegation also worked with healthcare facilities, inclusive education development centers, and visited several families with disabled members receiving support from the Inclusion Project to assess the project's impact and progress to date.

Source: International cooperation department