As one of the co-chairs of the meeting, Mr. Toshi Yamasaki, JICA Expert, Environmental Policy Advisor in MONRE delivered the opening remarks to the the representatives from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Construction; the provincial Departments of Health, the provincial Departments of Natural Resources and Environment, the local and international organizations etc. The following is the full text of his opening remarks.

Mr. Toshi Yamasaki, JICA Expert delivered opening remarks

“Assoc.Prof. Tran Thi Giang Huong, Director General of International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Health

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, Director General of Health Environment Management Agency, Ministry of Health

Lady and gentlemen,

My name is Yamasaki Toshiyuki, a JICA Environmental Policy Advisor in Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

First of all, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of you for the attendance in the Thematic Health Partnership Group (HPG) Meeting of 2017.

We are here in Ha Noi, the beautiful capital city of Viet Nam with friendly people. However, like many other cities across Viet Nam and around the world, the beauty of Ha Noi capital as well as the health of people living here are threaten by air pollution. I would like to start with some numbers provided by WHO in 2016: more than 80% of the world urban population is breathing dirty air that increases the risks of diseases. 98%  of cities in low- and middle-income countries do not meet WHO air quality guidelines. As urban air quality declines, the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma, increases for the people who live in them.

Among the outdoor air pollution-related death, the death caused by heart diseases and respiratory diseases accounted for the highest proportion, around 40%. Nearly 90%  of air-pollution-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with nearly two thirds of death cases occurring in WHO’s South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. Every year, there are around 2 million children die due to acute respiratory diseases in which 60% of cases is linked to air pollution.

In Viet Nam among the issues of air pollution, the most concern is particulate matter. Concentration of particulate matter in urban area remains at very high levels that has negative impacts on the health of people living here. On average, every year thousands of people got respiratory diseases related to air pollution. In which, respiratory diseases tend to occur more in bigger cities such as Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh city, Hai Phong, Dong Nai… rather than the smaller ones.

The National Environmental Status Report 2016 with the focus on the urban environment has listed up the cause of air pollution in urban areas in Viet Nam such as transportation activities (such as emission from cars, motorbikes and other transportation means, traffic jams…), construction activities, industrial facilities in urban areas, daily activities (such as burning coal, oil, gas or other fossil fuel), waste treatment activities (especially waste burning activities, open waste dump) and other sources from the suburb areas.

In the Thematic Health Partnership Group (HPG) Meeting of 2017 today, we would like to share, analyze and discuss the current situation of air pollution and its impact on health; discuss and identify gaps in monitoring and management of air pollution and health impacts; and discuss and agree on way forward and next steps to tackle the issue including multi-sectoral/ inter-agency collaboration. Please share with us your opinion, experience, questions and concerns in the discussion to make this meeting more fruitful and efficient.

The situation of air pollution in Viet Nam reminds me of the same thing happening in Japan when I was a child. But thanks to the efforts of governments, provinces, cities and people, that has been improved much better. I believe Viet Nam could do the same thing in the near future. I wish you for a fruitful meeting.

Thank you very much for your attention!”