Vietnamese and French scientists discussed the impacts of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin on Vietnamese victims in A Luoi district in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue , at a forum recently held in Paris .
Jointly organized by the France -Vietnam Friendship Association, the Union of Vietnamese in France and the Centre for Information on Contemporary Vietnam in Paris, the event was chaired by sociologist Jacque Maitre, the former Research Director of the French National Centre for Scientific Research. As a result of a visit Maitre made to Vietnam in 2002, the topic was part of anthropology research carried out by the Centre for Gender, Family and Environment in Vietnam and the French Centre for Research and Actions against Trauma and Exclusion, led by Bernard Doray from 2002 until 2010. At the event, Maitre gave a presentation on the harmful impacts of AO/dioxin’s on public health, especially birth defects amongst younger generations. The participants also heard about the traditional customs and life styles of the ethnic minorities that inhabit the region. (Vietnamplus.vn April 5)
