The act is meant to resolve difficult and painful issues related to the legacy of Agent Orange in Vietnam as the result of the 80 million liters of Agent Orange / Dioxin chemicals the US Army sprayed in Vietnam from 1961 – 1973.
From the spirit, the Veterans For Peace (VFP) -- an educational and humanitarian organization dedicated to the abolishment of war – call on the USAID to make stronger support to the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) system which was begun in Vietnam in the mid-1980s and engage in frequent and active dialogues with the Vietnam Association of Agent Orange Victims (VAVA) for delivery of services and assistance to Agent Orange victims nationwide.
The VFP also asks the USAID to promote greater collaboration of American institutions with Vietnamese partners to increase the capacity of Vietnamese institutions to provide needed services at all levels for PWDs.
These may include speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, early detection and interventions, community based nursing and rehabilitation. At the same time, the USAID should facilitate collaboration between US and Vietnamese training agencies to strengthen capacity and diversify training curriculums to bring greater positive impact and results from USAID funding and other support.
The USAID is also suggested to expand geographic reach in Vietnam.
Besides its focus primarily on the Danang area up to now, the USAID should make future funding and program efforts not to neglect communities throughout Vietnam that are not hotspots and which today show little or no evidence of dioxin contamination.