As many as 80 Vietnamese Agent Orange (AO) victims will be provided with free medical check-ups and treatment in South Korea next week, state media reported. This is part of a program from June 4-8 funded by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO), the Korean Victims of Agent Orange Veterans Association (KAOVA) and Korean Television MBC in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Vietnam-Korea diplomatic ties 2012. This is the first time such a lot of Vietnamese AO victims receive free medical check-ups and treatment at a foreign hospital, VUFO Vice President Don Tuan Phong said. “Such activities are expected to help Korean people know more about Vietnam and its AO consequences, then, they would join the fight for justice for AO victims,” he added. Tran Xuan Thu, Vice President-cum-General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange /dioxin said many international friends stand side by side in the fight for justice to support Vietnamese AO victims. So far, at least 17 AO-related diseases have been claimed by Vietnam and U.S. health experts, including nine various kinds of cancers, Thu said, inserting that AO could affect most of the human body and especially reduce immune systems to make victims vulnerable to communicable diseases. About 4.8 million people in Vietnam are reportedly exposed to AO and about three million currently suffer from AO-related diseases. (Vietnam News May 31, Vietnamplus.vn May 30)
