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children explore the digital library at the Book Festival.2021. Photo dangcongsan.vn

HÀ NỘI  Many activities and programmes to promote reading culture have been organised nationwide for the framework of Book Festival 2021.

The highlight of the event is an exhibition with the theme “Books — Mission to develop reading culture” at the National Library of on Tràng Thi Street, Hà Nội.

Speaking at the opening of the exhibition, Kiều Thúy Nga, director of the National Library of Việt Nam, said that the National Book Festival, which has been held annually at the library since 2006, has helped to arouse passion, excitement in reading, cultivate knowledge and contribute to the development of  the country.

“Via the activities of National Book Festival 2021, we want to convey the message that each book is a wonderful picture of life,” Nga said .

“Books are not just pages but also contain the world that people always crave to explore. Picking up a book and reading, you will see a whole new world open up.”

The exhibition displays 800 books divided into four categories: Books — Path to knowledge; Books — Gifts nourishing the soul; Reading skills and methods; and Enjoying reading passion. It will last until Wednesday.

In addition, a seminar titled Youth with Reading Culture was organised within the exhibition with the participation of many experts and representatives of publishing units on April 16.

Like previous book festivals, a number of activities for children are being held along, such as drawing illustrations for books, parents’ reading books for children and exploring digital library of over 2,000 books in more than 20 different languages.

Meanwhile, Việt Nam Book Day 2021 kicked off in HCM City yesterday on the city’s book street in District 1.

A symposium on the development of a reading culture amid digital transformation was held on yesterday while the launch of book collections on the implementation of the resolution from the 13th National Party Congress, HCM City and digital transformation will take place on the street today at 3pm

Book lovers can also join a fan meeting with prolific and children’s favourite authors like writer Nguyễn Nhật Ánh or poet Thụy Anh, which will be held tomorrow.

To book lovers who cannot attend the festival in person could check in a national online book festival that will run until May 15 at book365.vn . The theme of this year’s festival, which is the second of its kind, is “Books for All Families”.

The national online book festival take place on the website book365.vn. Photo courtesy of the organisers.

Following the success of the first festival in 2020, the national online book festival 2021 will offer tens of thousands of books with 50-70 per cent discount and free shipping with the support of Vietnam Post.

The online book festival allows participants to discuss the development of a reading culture and gain an insight into digital transformation in the publishing industry, as well as how to access books in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Its organisers revealed that they will sponsor readers in remote and disadvantaged areas with a discount of up to 80 per cent to many good books.

Last year, the online book festival gathered 49 publishers and introduced about 10,000 print books and up to 10,000 e-books.

April 21 was designated as Việt Nam Book Day by the then Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on February 24, 2014 with the aim to encourage a reading culture among the public. VNS

The central province of Quang Nam, home to UNESCO-recognized Hoi An Ancient Town, is expected to be Vietnam’s first locality to apply ‘vaccine passport’ policy once approved by the prime minister.

The Quang Nam People’s Committee, the local tourism sector, and businesses had spent months drafting a detail plan on such vaccine passport policy, said Nguyen Thanh Hong, director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

The plan has been supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and will soon be submitted to the national government for approval.

According to the scheme, the reopening of some international routes to Vietnam will be piloted from July to September, with target groups being South Korean visitors who seek resort-oriented vacations and golf tourism.

The top priority is to ensure safety for tourists as well as local workers and residents, said Le Tri Thanh, chairman of the Quang Nam People’s Committee.

The South Korean visitors would travel to the Vietnamese province on charter flights and land at Chu Lai Airport.

The tourists will then be transported to Hoiana and Tui Blue Nam Hoi An resorts for their vacations lasting five to ten days.

They must have vaccine passports and test negative for the novel coronavirus. The visitors will undergo another COVID-19 test before heading back to their home country.

The transportation and provision of services to these visitors will have to strictly follow COVID-19 prevention and control regulations.

The two resorts are separated from residential areas, which will minimize the risk of virus spread, while all staff members will also be vaccinated and required to wear protective clothing when having contact with the foreign tourists.

“If the results are promising, the plan will be applied to other tourist areas and groups of visitors,” Chairman Thanh stated.

Nguyen Phu Khanh, deputy general manager of Tui Blue Nam Hoi An, said that all units of the resort have been focusing on preparing for the welcoming of international tourists.

Separate welcoming areas have been established, and special training sessions have been provided to all staff members, Khanh elaborated.

Hoiana has also been making necessary preparations for the upcoming trial phase.

The resort complex covers hundreds of hectares, has a private gate, and consists of premium hotels, suites, golf courses, and restaurants.

Nguyen Van Trung, representative of Chu Lai Airport, said that the airdrome is waiting for specific instructions from competent authorities.

Exclusive terminals will be designated to welcome foreign visitors, while certain areas and equipment will also be renovated, Trung added.

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Dr Chiba Hiroshi.   Photo courtesy of Family Medical Practice

By Dr Chiba Hiroshi*

Let’s say you are suffering from long-lasting body pain. You’ve tried drugs from the pharmacy or tried yoga classes, but nothing seems to help. What should you do in this situation?

To get better control, you need to know the basic principles of pain.

When a part of the body is damaged due to injury or illness, the sensory nerves around the injured tissue instantaneously send electrical signals to the brain, signaling the body’s injury as pain. Pain is essential information for quickly detecting abnormalities in the body and protecting yourself from further danger. The pain at this time is called nociceptive pain.

Paracetamol and NSAIDs (which stands for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) are prescribed against nociceptive pain. You can even buy them as over-the-counter medicine at pharmacies. Damaged cells release small particles called prostaglandins, which can intensify pain or generate fever. These drugs exert their analgesic effect by blocking prostaglandins. Topical as well as oral medications may be useful.

However, suppose the pain persists even after taking paracetamol or NSAIDs for a certain period. In that case, it is necessary to consider other possibilities as the cause of the pain.

At first, we need to consider whether the pain is caused by treatable diseases.

Diseases such as migraine and polymyalgia rheumatica have particular medications that can control the pain through treatment if accurately diagnosed. Doctors should be on the lookout for these diseases. Malignant cancers can also cause long-lasting pain, so a thorough investigation is necessary.

Pain that lasts for more than three months without such a manageable disease is called chronic pain. Paracetamol is known to be ineffective in treating osteoarthritis and chronic back pain.

Next, consider the possibility of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain is a condition in which the sensory nerves get damaged. They transmit electrical signals to the brain that causes pain. Even if there is no damage to the body, the brain receives the electrical signals and feels the pain. NSAIDs and acetaminophen are ineffective for neuropathic pain.

Furthermore, when there is long-lasting pain, sensitisation for pain may occur.

Sensitisation for pain means that the brain or nerve functions have been altered by prolonged pain so that even the slightest stimulus is perceived as pain. There is no test to detect sensitisation. Doctors have to diagnose it solely based on the patient’s complaints, clinical course, and some basic examinations. Therefore, it is difficult to diagnose the pain caused by sensitisation. Even if it can be diagnosed accurately, it takes a long time to treat because of the brain and nerves’ structural changes. Therefore, multidisciplinary treatments using various medications, cognitive therapy, mindfulness, or other practical means like yoga, are necessary in many cases.

Medications to ease neuropathic pain or sensitisation are antidepressants or anticonvulsants, which act on the malfunctioning brain or nerves. It does not necessarily mean that you have epilepsy or depression.

In general, opioids such as oxycontin and fentanyl would not be prescribed for chronic pain. Although opioids effectively treat pain caused by malignant cancers, they are withheld from non-cancer chronic pain for concerns about dependence unless there is no other option.

Lastly, let’s look at the side effects of these medications.

Acetaminophen is an extremely safe drug and has few side effects as long as it is taken in the proper dosage. However, taking too much of it can damage the liver.

It is well known that NSAIDs can cause gastric mucosal damage. In particular, aspirin can inhibit hemostasis, so for example, avoid taking it if you have dengue fever. When you get seasonal flu with fever, taking NSAIDs can cause Rye syndrome, a severe complication.

Antidepressants and anticonvulsants have the side effect of making you drowsy since they affect the central nervous system.

Opioids have various side effects such as drowsiness, constipation, and the formation of physical and psychological dependence, which is a risk of making pain control more difficult.

Thus, to keep pain under control and get your life back, it is crucial to take the proper medication to treat and alleviate the cause of pain. Family Medical Practice

*Dr Chiba Hiroshi is a Japanese Family Doctor with 20 years of experience working in Japan and Cambodia, specializing in primary care, travel medicine, and urgent care. He graduated from Tohoku University school of medicine in 1998 and received his PhD in Geriatrics in 2004. He provides consultation on a wide range of health problems for all age groups. Other areas of specialties and interests include infectious disease, infection control, and medical education.

Family Medical Practice was the first foreign-owned primary healthcare provider in Việt Nam, and has consistently remained at the forefront of international-standard medicine since 1995. It offers extensive healthcare and emergency medical services nationwide to Vietnamese, expatriate and corporate customers.

For more advice on any medical topics, visit Family Medical Practice Hanoi at: 298 I Kim Mã, Ba Đình District . Tel: (024) 3843 0748.  E: [email protected] .

FMP’s downtown Hồ Chí Minh City location is: Diamond Plaza, 34 Lê Duẩn, District 1; 95 Thảo Điền, District 2. Tel: (028) 38227848. E: [email protected]

FMP Đà Nẵng is located at 96-98 Nguyễn Văn Linh, Hải Châu District, Đà Nẵng. Tel: (0236) 3582 699. E: [email protected] .

A disappointing game was settled 10 minutes after the interval as the in-form Nigerian striker slotted at the second attempt after good work by Jamie Vardy.

* Mason Greenwood continued his fine run of form with a second-half brace which helped Manchester United to a 3-1 home win over Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday and kept them on course for a top-four finish.

* Arsenal substitute Eddie Nketiah struck deep into stoppage time to cancel out Josh Maja’s second-half penalty in a 1-1 draw with relegation-threatened Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.

* Sevilla came from behind to win 2-1 at Real Sociedad on Sunday (Apr 18) and stay in contention for an unlikely La Liga title bid.

* Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland scored twice in four minutes on Sunday, ending his seven-game goal drought in all competitions, to help his team to a 4-1 win over Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga and revive their hopes of a top four finish.

* Juventus slipped to a last-gasp 1-0 defeat at Atalanta on Sunday as Gian Piero Gasperini’s side leapfrogged the champions into third place in the Serie A standings. Juve, missing Cristiano Ronaldo due to injury, struggled to break down the in-form hosts without their Portuguese talisman and were forced to defend for much of the second half against Serie A’s top scorers.

* Christian Eriksen’s first league goal of the season earned Inter Milan a 1-1 draw at Napoli on Sunday (Apr 18), moving the league leaders nine points clear at the top of the Serie A standings.

* AC Milan secured a first home Serie A win for over two months with a nervy 2-1 victory over Genoa on Sunday to boost their hopes of a top-four finish.

* Paris St Germain stayed in the hunt for a fourth successive Ligue 1 title after Mauro Icardi scored in the dying seconds of stoppage time to secure a dramatic 3-2 win over St Etienne on Sunday.

* Miami will host a Formula One race from next year as part of a 10-year-deal announced by the sport and local organisers on Sunday (Apr 18). The grand prix at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, home of the Miami Dolphins NFL team, will be a second Formula One race for the United States in addition to the one in Austin, Texas.

* Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo claimed a second consecutive MotoGP victory after leading almost from start to finish at the Portuguese Grand Prix on Sunday as six-times world champion Marc Marquez finished seventh in his first race in nine months.

* Twelve of Europe’s most powerful clubs announced the launch of a breakaway European Super League on Monday (Apr 19) in a potentially seismic shift in the way football is run. Six Premier League teams – Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham – are involved, alongside Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan.

* Paris St Germain ended Olympique Lyonnais’ five-year reign as European champions as they progressed to the women’s Champions League semi-finals on away goals after securing a 2-1 win on Sunday.

* Roger Federer will kickstart his claycourt campaign at next month’s Geneva Open as he steps up his preparations for the French Open, the 39-year-old Swiss wrote on Twitter on Sunday. After missing more than a year following two knee operations, Federer returned on Tour at last month’s Qatar Open, where he suffered a quarter-final defeat by Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili.