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Lost Souls, White Bowls: Documenting Vietnamese femicide through research, film and participatory ceramic art
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
This project will show how social scientists, documentary filmmakers, artists and activists can collaborate to address intimate partner femicide in Vietnam. Together the project will produce world-class research, documentary film and interactive installation art (employing traditional Vietnamese ceramics). Project aims are to improve intimate partner femicide reporting and inspire Vietnamese audiences to reflect on gender-based violence and act to end it. Vietnam will directly benefit from this proposal, as it has a strong commitment to gender equity and against violence of women, in line with its socialist ideology. Vietnam has signed relevant UN treaties and resolutions on gender equity and gender-based violence (GBV) and recognises GBV as an ideological and economic concern.
Evaluating antimicrobial stewardship strategies and capacity building through participatory action research and a network approach in Vietnam
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
In Vietnam, surveillance data showed alarmingly high and increasing drug-resistant proportions of important pathogens in hospitals. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) has been an important national strategy to improve antibiotic use, however, implementation has been slow at resource-limited hospitals due to lack of resources, skills and capacity. These include district hospitals, the first-point of hospitalization in the public healthcare system where first intravenous antibiotics are usually given empirically in the absence of microbiology lab services. Connecting with provincial-level hospitals through AMS networks is therefore a potential approach to support district hospitals in accessing external available resources for AMS implementation. In this proposed four-year research project, Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Vietnam (OUCRU) and National Hospital for Tropical Diseases will work with two hospital networks in a participatory action research approach to 1) to evaluate the effectiveness, costs and implementation outcomes of AMS programmes delivered through the two local networks, 2) to develop staff capacity in provincial and district hospitals in AMS implementation through participatory action research and network involvement, and 3) to explore opportunities for and contextual factors to support effective implementation of AMS programmes in these AMS hospital networks. Each hospital network will consist of one provincial hospital and five connecting district hospitals identified based on our previous research and the commitment of hospital leadership and AMS staff. Hospital AMS staff (participants) will be involved in an iterative reflective cycle where they will collect and analyse data and determine actions and interventions to implement, observe the process, and reflect and evaluate the outcomes to inform continuing actions. The research team will train hospital staff on AMS related skills and research methods to collect and analyse data, assess and identify interventions, develop and evaluate the implementation. Hospital staff will use evidence and guidance from national guidelines and World Health Organisation's toolkit to identify possible interventions and make hospital-specific action plans contextualized to their local conditions. Results and learning experience will be shared and discussed in regular hospital team meetings and network meetings facilitated by the researchers. We will use a mixed methods design throughout the research including staff survey, interviews and focus group discussions to understand the process, assess implementation aspects including costs, feasibility, acceptability, sustainability and scalability, and explore opportunities and contextual factors for AMS implementation based on the network approach. Longitudinal routine data will be extracted from hospital information systems to evaluate co-primary outcome measures of antibiotic use and clinical outcomes (in-hospital mortality and length of stay). We will also conduct a survey of 2000 patients in all hospitals at two time points, before and 12 months after implementation started, to investigate the potential impact of AMS on colonization of drug-resistant bacteria. Evidence generated from this research will be important for policy makers and hospitals in resource-limited settings like Vietnam in developing and implementing locally adapted AMS programmes. This research will also build the capacity and ownership of local hospitals and their staff in assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating their AMS interventions, and increase the capacity of research staff in implementation science and engaging local partners through the participatory action research process. Local AMS networks will be developed and strengthened to increase resource mobilization, motivation and participation of hospitals in the implementation.
Integrated Surveillance and Vaccine Development to Combat Community-Acquired Klebsiella Pneumoniae Infections
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) is a commensal bacterium commonly found in the human gut, nasopharynx and skins. However, it can also cause severe infections, particularly among those with comorbidities and immunocompromised conditions. The global health threat posed by Kp is recognized by the World Health Organization and international health agencies due to its escalating and challenging-to-control nature. In Vietnam and Southeast Asia, there has been a concerning rise in severe Kp infections, especially among the elderly. Two major pathotypes of Kp exist: classical Kp (cKp) and hypervirulent Kp (hvKp). cKp is known for its high antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is a frequent cause of hospital-acquired infections among immunocompromised individuals. In contrast, hvKp is characterized by numerous virulence factors and its ability to cause severe invasive community-acquired infections, even in healthy individuals. Both pathotypes have been identified in Vietnam, posing a significant threat for the emergence of strains exhibiting both AMR and hypervirulence. While hospital-acquired Kp infections have received significant attention, leading to ongoing improvements in infection control and antimicrobial stewardship programs in Vietnam, the emergence of Kp, especially hvKp, in communities is less understood. Research into community-acquired Kp infections faces two main interlinked challenges. Firstly, the current hospital surveillance system is isolate-based and cannot effectively distinguish community-acquired infections, resulting in a poor understanding of at-risk populations, disease sources, and drivers of transmission within communities. Secondly, research capacity to develop effective preventive measures such as vaccines is limited, partly due to gaps in understanding disease and pathogen characteristics. In this proposal, we aim to integrate patient-oriented surveillance and vaccine development to combat community-acquired Kp infections in Vietnam. We will define the epidemiological and clinical features of community-acquired Kp infections, and quantify the transmission rates of Kp in the community. To achieve this, we will conduct a one-year patient-focused hospital study in three national and provincial hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Ha Noi. This study will identify all cases of community-acquired Kp infections and characterize their incidence, AMR and genotypic profiles, clinical features and outcomes. Furthermore, we will collaborate with HCM Center for Disease Control to enroll households of the hospitalized cases and independent community households in HCMC to quantify transmission rates of Kp (both cKp and hvKp) in the community. Additionally, metadata and gut microbiota characterization from patients and household members will help identify potential risk factors for Kp colonization and infection. These findings will be shared with local stakeholders and policy makers, facilitating the development of local treatment guidelines and targeted public health interventions. We will also assess the human immune responses to Kp antigens among patients with bloodstream infections and their correlation with treatment outcomes. By collaborating with University of Science in HCMC, we will measure antibody and T cell responses to candidate proteins among patients with bloodstream infections from the hospital study and healthy individuals, and correlate these data with disease outcomes (survival, severity score, length of hospital stays). This investigation will identify robust candidates associated with enhanced survival for further development of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. Through this collaborative and strategic project, we will enhance research capacity in Vietnam to address public health challenges posed by Kp and other emerging pathogens. The project findings will contribute to global efforts in understanding community transmission dynamics of Kp and advance the development of targeted therapeutics and vaccines.
One Health Rationale to Investigate the emerGence of AMR related to chicken Meat and Egg consumption (OHRIGAME)
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
With growing demand for protein from animal origin, the poultry industry is experiencing an unprecedented intensification in Southeast Asia. Industrialisation of livestock farming is accompanied by an overuse/misuse of antimicrobial drugs (AMD) which is believed to be a significant driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR is a major threat for human and is reported to be responsible for close to a million deaths, yearly. The team assembled in this project has worked together within the UKRI GCRF One Health Poultry Hub, to generate robust evidence of excess AMD use in poultry production systems within Vietnam, using a holistic One Health approach that integrates studies from biological and social science disciplines. This foundation has generated knowledge on the overall structure and vulnerability of poultry production systems in Vietnam, with insights into the lives of farmers and other actors, including differences in the roles, responsibilities and behaviours of men and women working across the network. It also highlighted an alarming prevalence of food-borne pathogens in chickens, showed that chicken gut bacteria and microbial communities have high levels of AMR genes resulting in resistance to many AMDs, and that AMD residues over the maximum residue limit (MRL) are present in ~ 9% of meat on sale to the public. This project will continue the interdisciplinary approach to generate new knowledge on the dynamics of AMR acquisition during the production cycle, to understand the drivers of high AMD use in Vietnam chicken production, and to investigate potential impacts of unintentional exposure to AMD and resistant bacteria by ingestion of contaminated water (chickens) of food (chickens and humans). The objectives of the OHRIGAME project (One Health Rationale to Investigate the emerGence of AMR related to chicken Meat and Egg consumption) are to: Through longitudinal sampling, evaluate AMR in chicken gut bacterial populations during their breeding until sale Use forensic investigative analyses to identify underlying reasons for the high level of veterinary drugs in meat, by analysis eggs, chicken feed and drinking water, and relate this to AMR profiles within the same chickens. The Vietnamese government’s ban of prophylactic antimicrobial use, coming into place in 2025, will constitute a natural intervention. Use questionnaire based research to understand farmers’ motivations for under-reporting use of AMD. We will also sample chicken meat imported from Vietnam and hospital-grade food in the UK to evaluate the risk of that AMD residues and AMR genes could pose to clinical populations of patients at risk of gut bacteria dysregulation. From the start in Vietnam we will work with local and national stakeholders from government, particularly the Department of Animal Health within the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, with whom we have a well-established relationship, and with the One Health Partnership secretariat, agencies, NGOs and the poultry sector. With expansion of analysis capacity, we will propose a framework to increase Vietnam capability to screen AMD residue and AMR in chicken meat production to protect the national consumers, a key priority of the Vietnam’s Decision No. 4 14 /QD-TTg (Strengthening capacity to manage and control animal diseases and diseases transmitted between animals and humans).Our international One Health approach includes AMR diplomacy actions which will benefit people locally in Vietnam and is completely aligned with the UK National Action Plan on AMR.
ORRAA Programme
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) is a multi-sector alliance that aims to drive investment into coastal natural capital through the development of innovative finance solutions. These products will reduce vulnerability and build resilience in the most exposed and vulnerable coastal regions and communities. The UK has committed £13.9 million into ORRAA, delivered in two phases. A successful Phase 1 in 2021-22 provided £1.9m in grant funding, followed by Phase 2 from 2022-2026 with £12m committed in grant funding. The UK’s investment will address 2 challenges faced by coastal communities and the ocean environment: 1) Tackling the impacts of anthropogenic climate change and biodiversity loss. 2) Overcoming barriers that prevent finance flowing into nature-based solutions. The grant awarded to ORRAA will support their aims to drive at least $500 million of investment into coastal and ocean natural capital, and produce at least 50 new, innovative finance products, by 2030. This would positively impact the resilience of 250 million climate vulnerable people in coastal areas worldwide.
Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is a widespread and lucrative criminal activity causing major global environmental and social harm. The IWT has been estimated to be worth up to £17 billion a year. Nearly 6,000 different species of fauna and flora are impacted, with almost every country in the world playing a role in the illicit trade. The UK government is committed to tackling illegal trade of wildlife products and is a long-standing leader in efforts to eradicate the IWT. Defra manages the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, which is a competitive grants scheme with the objective of tackling IWT and, in doing so, contributing to sustainable development in developing countries. Projects funded under the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund address one, or more, of the following themes: • Developing sustainable livelihoods to benefit people directly affected by IWT, • Strengthening law enforcement, • Ensuring effective legal frameworks, • Reducing demand for IWT products. By 2023 over £51 million has been committed to 157 projects since the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund was established in 2013. This page contains information about Rounds 7 onwards. For information about Rounds 1 to 6, please see the IWTCF website -https://iwt.challengefund.org.uk/
Biodiverse Landscapes Fund
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The UK’s £100 million Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF) aims to reduce poverty, protect and restore biodiversity and lessen the impact of climate change in six environmentally critical landscapes across the globe. These are: - The Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area, covering areas of Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. - Mesoamerica, covering areas of Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. - Western Congo Basin, covering areas of Cameroon, Gabon and Republic of Congo. - Andes Amazon, covering areas of Ecuador and Peru. - Lower Mekong, covering areas of Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. - Madagascar. The BLF has 3 core aims: - people: to develop economic opportunities through investment in nature in support of climate adaptation and resilience and poverty reduction. - nature: to slow, halt or reverse biodiversity loss in globally significant regions for biodiversity. - climate: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and safeguard natural carbon sinks. It will meet these aims by: - reducing poverty and creating sustainable economic development for communities living in, and dependent upon, environmentally precious landscapes. - protecting and restoring ecosystems and biologically diverse landscapes helping to mitigate climate change by preserving carbon sinks and ecosystems. - addressing the causes of environmental degradation. - supporting national and local governments, park authorities and communities to achieve long-term sustainable management and use of natural resources Funding will be distributed across the landscapes according to demands and needs.
Darwin Initiative
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs
The Darwin Initiative is the UK’s flagship international challenge fund for biodiversity conversation and poverty reduction, established at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The Darwin Initiative is a grant scheme working on projects that aim to slow, halt, or reverse the rates of biodiversity loss and degradation, with associated reductions in multidimensional poverty. To date, the Darwin Initiative has awarded more than £195m to over 1,280 projects in 159 countries to enhance the capability and capacity of national and local stakeholders to deliver biodiversity conservation and multidimensional poverty reduction outcomes in low and middle-income countries. More information at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/the-darwin-initiative. This page contains information about Rounds 27 onwards. For information about Rounds 1 to 26, please see the Darwin Initiative website -https://www.darwininitiative.org.uk/
Newton Fund Vietnam programme delivery
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Newton Fund Vietnam programme delivery to support the delivery of ODA activities in Newton Fund countries
An Open-Water Demonstration of INWave Wave Energy Converter Power Plant in Vietnam
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
INWave, the onshore-type Wave Energy Converter, is suitable for shoreline and remote islands. IWES's business goal is to offer clean, affordable and reliable Wave Energy Converters, with a Simple, Scalable & Sustainable technology. The technology has been proven to be feasible at prototype level since 2015, with a Seal of Excellence award by European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme in 2016, MEA (Marine Energy Alliance) award achieving TRL 6-7 evaluation in 2019, and a successful Energy Catalyst Round 9 funding in 2022. INWave provides the unique approaches of: deploying the power generation device onshore, harvesting wave energy from the shallow nearshore water, and using the whole range of wave movements. It ensures durability, safety and affordability. This reduces costs and time, enabling sustainable supply for the smaller scale local market needs. INWave innovation brings access to clean and affordable energy to the coastal community. It is competitive with expensive diesel generators, which are commonplace in fishery harbours and remote coastal areas in Vietnam. In particular, in remotely scattered islands in the South China Sea (Vietnamese East Sea), meeting energy demand is very expensive relying on fossil-fuel based energy, due to the logistic and volatile cost conditions. Diesel generators, kerosene lamps and burning wood cooking are common occurrences. There is huge potential ocean energy in Vietnam and in Asia-Pacific Ocean countries that could be utilised to generate electricity. One of the beneficiaries of planned wave power plants are coastal communities from relatively traditional fishery, farming and aquacultural communities. This innovative technology will provide them with increased energy security at a lower cost and with largely reduced CO2 emissions. The object of the proposed project is to complete and demonstrate the successful construction and commissioning of a Wave Energy Pilot Plant in the selected site in Vietnam. Through appropriate project assessments, the pilot power plant is expected to yield significant impacts in technical, social, economic, and environmental aspects. The proposed innovation to be installed in a remote island is an onshore-type WEC technology. Onshore, because as opposed to most other offshore WECs under development, its power generation unit is located on the shoreline and not at sea. This design enables system stability, significant cost reductions and makes clean energy infrastructure investment more affordable. We will maintain collaborative partnerships with all relevant government stakeholders, which ensure project adequation with the country's sustainable development targets and regulatory framework, such as PDP8.
Blue Orchard Insuresilience Fund II
British International Investment plc
InsuResilience Investment Fund II will invest in growth-stage companies along the climate insurance value chain in emerging markets.
Blue Orchard Insuresilience Fund II
British International Investment plc
InsuResilience Investment Fund II will invest in growth-stage companies along the climate insurance value chain in emerging markets.
Blue Orchard Insuresilience Fund II
British International Investment plc
InsuResilience Investment Fund II will invest in growth-stage companies along the climate insurance value chain in emerging markets.
SUSI Asia Energy Transition Fund
British International Investment plc
The Fund targets investments acrossthe energy transition sectors, includingrenewable energy, energy efficiency, andenergy storage, and focuses on emergingeconomies in Southeast Asia, includingIndonesia, Vietnam and Philippines.
SUSI Asia Energy Transition Fund
British International Investment plc
The Fund targets investments acrossthe energy transition sectors, includingrenewable energy, energy efficiency, andenergy storage, and focuses on emergingeconomies in Southeast Asia, includingIndonesia, Vietnam and Philippines.
SUSTAINABLE ASIA RENEWABLE ASSETS PTE. LTD.
British International Investment plc
Operator of greenfield renewable energy power plant intended for sustainable energy infrastructure.
Blue Orchard Insuresilience Fund II
British International Investment plc
InsuResilience Investment Fund II will invest in growth-stage companies along the climate insurance value chain in emerging markets.
Blue Orchard Insuresilience Fund II
British International Investment plc
InsuResilience Investment Fund II will invest in growth-stage companies along the climate insurance value chain in emerging markets.
UK Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To alleviate poverty by working with partner countries to accelerate climate change mitigation by supporting them to improve the capacity and capability of key institutions (public, private, and civil society), addressing barriers and constraints to clean growth, pursue opportunities for greater climate ambition and enable access to climate finance
UK Expertise for Green Cities, Infrastructure and Energy Programme (GCIEP)
UK - Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO)
To improve the impact and effectiveness of FCDO programming in climate resilient urban development infrastructure planning and delivery; to accelerate inclusive and sustainable economic growth by connecting people to labour markets and infrastructure services; to address the impacts of climate change through better urban planning and delivery of resilient infrastructure projects.