Vietnam will have a national bank of data that serves research and the treatment of victims exposed to Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin under a project debated at a workshop in Hanoi on May 10. The project is being studied by the 33 Steering Board’s Office, relevant ministries and branches, and scientists. The bank will collect and store documents, objects and analyzed samples to study the chemical’s impact on the environment, natural resources and ecological system. Associate Professor Dr. Le Ke Son, Chief of the office and Deputy Head of the Vietnam Environment Administration, said the bank is expected to contribute to information and education about AO consequences while serving the legal struggle to obtain justice for AO victims. At the function, participants agreed that AO consequences have remained a big issue that draws international concern. However, they said due to the lack of data, scientists have failed to systematically study the cost to Vietnamese people. From 1961 to 1971, U.S. troops sprayed more than 80 million liters of toxins - 44 million liters of which were AO that contained nearly 370kg of dioxin - over a quarter of southern Vietnam. (vietnamplus.vn May 10)
