Hanoi: Duty travel report

Maria Dweggah, WHO

Outside the yellow paned glass window, the Vietnamese flag furls and unfurls, twisting and twirling to the rhythm of the gentle spring breeze, gold star playing peek-a-boo among its solid red folds. Inside, high above the window, Ho Chi Minh’s portrait, tilted at a 45° angle, dominates the room. His smiling eyes seem to follow you wherever you go, from one end to the other. You cannot escape them.

Oblivious to the cacophony of sounds of unrelenting car and motor scooter horns

50 fifty meters away, 25 scientists, medical doctors and health professionals from all over the world—Peru, Kuwait, Finland, Pakistan, Malaysia, Vietnam, the UK, USA, Germany, Sweden, Hong Kong, and Switzerland—are gathered to develop an agenda of activities that will coordinate research for developing safe and effective vaccines against bacterialand viral diarrhoeal diseases. The meeting is being held at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, a building that once housed the Institut Pasteur.

The first item on the agenda is typhoid fever, its diagnosis, treatment, prevention and epidemic preparedness. During the next four days discussions will focus and shigella, cholera, ETEC (also known as traveller diarrhoea) and rotavirus, the most common cause of severe diarrhea among children worldwide. It has been estimated that 500,00 to 600,000 children <5 years of age in developing countries die each year from rotavirus diarrhea.

I feel privileged to be here, surrounded by people who hold the keys to vaccines that will eventually do away with unnecessary deaths, people who are truly concerned about public health issues in their own countries as well as those less fortunate. For the past six years, I have worked in the unit of Vaccines Development as secretary to the medical officer responsible for diarrhoeal disease vaccines.

This position has given me the opportunity to meet and work with some of the foremost experts on diarrhoeal diseases; and as organizer of this meeting, the chance to be in Hanoi.

Our Vietnamese hosts are cordial and hospitable. The preparations are perfect. The food is delicious, the beer is not bad either Unfortunately, I do not have enough time to visit Hanoi. On Saturday following the meeting, two of the participants and I will go to Ha Long Bay, a three hour drive from Hanoi to visit the famous rock formations. True to the name of the bay, which means dragon of the sea, the huge rocks do resemble the back of a very, very long dragon.

On Sunday, I went to visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum, quite an emotional and introspective experience. I wanted to visit the mausoleum where his body is laid, but the lines were interminably long. People had been waiting since 5 a.m.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of travel for support staff. Not only will this define the staff members as part of the team, they will be seen as a valued asset. It will also allow them to acquire more knowledge of the program, while increasing appreciation and understanding of country level work. Familiarisation with local staff and their administration will lead to a better level of understanding, communication and collaboration.

My message to managers:

Invest in your support staff. Recognize their contribution. Demonstrate that they are a valued asset. Make them feel part of your team. Develop their potential. Motivate them.