Background: At commune health stations in Vietnam, there are still limitations of human resources as well as essential drug and equipment supply. However, these problems weren\u2019t assessed comprehensively. Objectives: To describe the infrastructure, equipment, drug availability and the possibility of providing reproductive health services according to National Standard Guidelines on Reproductive Health of these health facilities. Subjects and method: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 210 commune health stations, 28 district hospitals, and 14 provincial hospitals. Results:The infrastructure, equipment and essential drugs in these facilities are inefficient and of low quality that leads to limit the provision of reproductive health, especially for basic obstetric care at commune health stations and comprehensive obstetric care at district and provincial hospitals. Only 16.7% of commune health stations can provide basic obstetric care services and 39.3% of district hospitals and 50% of provincial hospitals were providing comprehensive obstetric care services according to the National Standard Guidelines on Reproductive Health. Conclusion: In order to provide good reproductive healthcare services, the health sector should have an investment strategy on infrastructure, medical equipment and essential drugs for health facilities.
reproductive care service ; commune health station

Over the years many approaches have been used in communication for behavioral changes in nutrition. The overall aim of this study was to provide practical insights into how participatory, audience-centered communication activities can be effectively used for imparting information and for behavioral change promotion on the topic of dietary diversity and micronutrient nutrition, among reproductive-age women in Vietnam. The communication initiatives for improving nutrition knowledge and practices of the women in two selected communes (Dongky and Donglac) in Bacgiang province were carried out from January, 2003 to December, 2005. The Dongky commune was selected as the intervention commune, while the Donglac commune served as the control. In the intervention commune of Dongky the problems and strategies of nutrition communication and education were defined, IEC materials and some seeds of iron-rich vegetables and fruits were provided. Besides that, a contest on nutrition knowledge at a primary school and a competition between nutrition collaborators were held. The results of the study showed that food consumption of the women in both communes improved compared to levels at the baseline survey, especially in the intervention commune. The total knowledge scores and the nutrition practices of the women in the Dongky commune significantly improved compared to the data at baseline and were higher compared to that of the control commune.
commune ; Nutritional status ; Human Females ; Communication ; seconds

Bao tho tea prepared from black tea, stevia rebaudiana Bertonia and phylamin (a herbal preparation). A study on the bioactivity of Bao tho has shown that Bao tho tea had no acute or chronic toxicity, had a sedative effect and recovering the health. The preparation reduced the blood cholesterol concentration from 155 to 131mg%. Its coefficient of alpha radioactive protection was 0.33. The Bao tho tea supported the health of old soldiers in the nursing friendship village.
Resources of herbal plants with aromatic oil at the biodiversity station of Ngoc Thanh commune, Me Linh district, Vinh Phuc province

The present study was undertaken to explore the inhibitory effect of cyanobacterial extracts of Nostoc commune FA-103 against the tomato-wilt pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. In an optimal medium, cell growth, antifungal activity, and antifungal compound production could be increased 2.7-fold, 4.1-fold, and 13.4-fold, respectively. A crude algal extract had a similar effect as mancozeb at the recommended dose, both in laboratory and pot tests. In vitro and in vivo fungal growth, spore sporulation and fungal infection of wilt pathogen in tomato seeds were significantly inhibited by cyanobacterial extracts. Nostoc commune FA-103 extracts have potential for the suppression of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici.
Azepines ; Cyanobacteria ; Fluoroquinolones ; Fusarium ; Lycopersicon esculentum ; Maneb ; Nostoc commune ; Seeds ; Spores ; Zineb

Soil cyanobacteria isolated from the rice paddy fields of 10 different locations across Korea were evaluated by agar plate diffusion test for antifungal activity. Aqueous, petroleum ether, and methanol extracts from one hundred and forty two cyanobacterial strains belonging to the 14 genera were examined for antifungal properties against seven phytopathogenic fungi causing diseases in hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L). Of total cyanobacteria, nine cyanobacteria (6.34%) exhibited antifungal effects. The nine cyanobacteria selected with positive antifungal activities were two species of Oscillatoria, two of Anabaena, three of Nostoc, one of Nodularia, and one of Calothrix. Alternaria alternata and Botrytis cinerea were inhibited by nine and eight species of cyanobacteria, respectively. Rhizopus stolonifer was suppressed by only methanol extract of Nostoc commune FK-103. In particular, Nostoc commune FK-103 and Oscillatoria tenuis FK-109 showed strong antifungal activities against Phytophthora capsici. Their antifungal activity at the late exponential growth phase is related to the growth temperature and not associated with the growth parameters such as cell biomass and chlorophyll-alpha concentration. The high inhibition levels of antibiotics were 22.5 and 31.8 mm for N. commune FK-103 and O. tenuis FK-109, respectively. The optimal temperature for antibiotic productivity was 35degrees C.
Agar ; Alternaria ; Anabaena ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Biomass ; Botrytis ; Cyanobacteria* ; Diffusion ; Efficiency ; Ether ; Fungi* ; Korea ; Mass Screening* ; Methanol ; Nodularia ; Nostoc ; Nostoc commune ; Oscillatoria ; Petroleum ; Phytophthora ; Plants* ; Rhizopus ; Soil*