Efforts Made to Shake Off Agent Orange Hangover

Dioxin analytical capacity was the topic of the day at a seminar held by the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Hanoi recently.A number of laboratories in Vietnam have been upgraded to serve research into the consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam, including the facility at the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Centre, and the Analytical Center in Ho Chi Minh City.Deputy Director of VEA Le Ke Son said although Vietnam has made a number of achievements in researching and analyzing dioxin pollution, the activities have faced obstacles, including the shortage of personnel.He called for assistance from the U.S. Government in terms of equipment and personnel training in the field, so that Vietnam can achieve the goal of solving basic problems related to dioxin pollution in Vietnam by 2015.During the 10 years from 1961, the U.S. Army sprayed more than 18.2 million gallons of Agent Orange containing dioxin onto more than 10% of land in southern Vietnam, destroying millions of hectares of forest and agricultural land, as well as severely impacting the health of many generations of Vietnamese people.It is estimated that more than 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin, most of whom lived along the Truong Son supply route and border area with Cambodia . Many of the victims have died, while millions of their descendants still live with diseases and poverty due to the effects of Agent Orange. (Vietnam News Dec 3)