Social development
Public health
Improve implementation of tobacco tax policies, ASEAN urged
ASEAN governments should do more to make their tobacco tax policies more effective, not only for health reasons but also for the budget generation.Keep reading ...
US provides over 24 billion kip for unexploded ordnance clearance
The US government has agreed to provide a grant worth 24 billion kip (US$3,026,000) to the project for supporting rural development through Unexploded Ordnance clearance in Xieng Khuang province. The grant will contribute to non-technical and technical survey and clearance of the Unexploded Ordnance clearance (UXO) ...
Deadly diet: Thai doctors battle cancer-causing fish dish
It was not until he got to medical school that Narong Khuntikeo finally discovered what caused the liver cancer that took both of his parents’ lives – their lunch.Like millions of Thais across the rural northeast, his family regularly ate koi pla – a local ...
Severe form of dengue fever surfaces in Vientiane
Health authorities say Laos still faces challenges in preventing dengue fever this year, especially with the emergence of dengue hemorrhagic fever. Meanwhile, the number of dengue fever infections in Vientiane overall has increased at a higher rate than in other parts of the country.Head of ...
New synthetics impede Southeast Asia’s fight against drugs: UN
The spread of a “new psychoactive substances” is devastating countries around the world, and a report released today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) identifies East and Southeast Asia as the main origin of such substances.The substances include drugs such as ...
Japanese life insurers take hit from BOJ's negative rate policy
The Bank of Japan’s negative interest rate policy dealt a blow to Japanese life insurance companies last fiscal year, with premium income shrinking at 11 out of 15 major players. Basic profit — a measure of profitability from core operations — decreased at seven groups for ...
Day care wait lists still growing in much of Japan
Day care waiting lists have declined slightly overall but still grew on the year in 16 of 34 major Japanese municipalities, suggesting that the government remains far from its goal of clearing the chronic backlog. The Nikkei surveyed 20 cities and Tokyo’s 23 wards, with ...
Elderly get timely food, medicines
Poor elderly folk living in Mandalay City are being cared for with medicines and food during this season when temperatures can soar, said U Soe, secretary of the Ma Naw Kyar Phyu Blood Donor and Charity Association. “We help provide essentials to the poor and ...
Zinc deficiency rampant in VN women, children
Vietnamese people are zinc deficient at an alarming rate, especially pregnant women and young children.The information was announced on Monday at a symposium to welcome Việt Nam Micronutrient Day (June 1-2).A survey conducted in 2015 showed that nearly 70 per cent of children under five ...
Doctors' deaths spur call for new law
Medical networks have urged the government to roll out a law regulating working conditions for medical staff after the deaths of several doctors were linked to their heavy workloads and poor working environment.Read more ...