Development Ratings

The Medical Aid Committee for Vietnam was set up in 1965 after a visit to Hanoi by a British doctor. She noticed a specific shortage of medicines and surgical equipment that was resulting in needless suffering. In 1979, the name was changed to Medical & Scientific Aid for Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia (MSAVLC) to include the neighbouring countries and research scholarships. The aim of MSAVLC is to provide local medical professionals and medical centres with the additional equipment and supplies to carry out their work.

In Vietnam, decades of conflict and an economic embargo have had major repercussions. A third generation is being born with physical and mental defects due to Agent Orange. In addition, there are few official services provided for people who are blind, deaf or paralysed. Laos also suffered heavy US bombing – it is considered the most heavily bombed country per capita in the history of warfare. Over 20 years of wars and misrule in Cambodia have been similarly damaging. Not only are there widespread medical and disability problems in the three countries, but infrastructure has been devastated and economic development undermined, particularly in remote and indigenous areas. In all three countries, official medical budgets are very restricted.

Untreated trachoma infection causes the eyelids to turn inwards. Repeated scratching of the cornea by the eyelashes can lead to permanent blindness. It is spread through contact with mucous on dirty faces and shared towels, and can be caught repeatedly. Children are especially susceptible, and poverty conditions and poor hygiene encourage transmission. The WHO-recommended strategy is known as SAFE: Surgery to correct the advanced symptoms; Antibiotics; Facial cleanliness to reduce transmission; and Environmental change to improve access to clean water. Antibiotic donations are made via the International Trachoma Initiative.

UNICEF and Plan International’s Vietnamese projects include work with disabled children. There are several North America-based NGOs working in Vietnam: one sends teams of medical professionals to carry out outreach camps and surgeries; another provides nursing training to Masters level; others help children with medical needs alongside educational and other work. MSAVLC seems to be the only UK charity with this focus.