Vietnam: in the footsteps of Carlo Urbani

Development cooperation is one of the pillars of Italy's strategic partnership with Hanoi

Editorial by Antonio Alessandro, Italian Ambassador to Vietnam

On March 7, an Italian delegation visited the Province of Thua Thien Hue to participate in a ceremony in memoriam of Carlo Urbani and revive relations with one of the most dynamic regions in central Vietnam.

The ceremony was held in the epidemiology center named after Carlo Urbani, with the emotional participation of Italian and Vietnamese authorities and his widow, Giuliana Chiorrini. The WHO Representative in Vietnam shared the testimonies of people who had worked with the famous Italian epidemiologist. Carlo Urbani was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Italy by President Sergio Mattarella in recognition of his extraordinary work in containing the SARS epidemic in Vietnam in 2003.

It emerged that the work of Carlo Urbani, almost 20 years after his death, is still relevant in the face of new pandemics and wars that are shaking the world. Consul General Enrico Padula recalled the vital contribution of Carlo Urbani and the whole Italian community to the strengthening of friendship relations between Italy and Vietnam.

As a concrete sign of Italian solidarity and in the footsteps of Carlo Urbani, a new Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics is being built in the Hue University Hospital. The works are promoted by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) as part of a 13 million euro project for the improvement of health services in the central regions of Vietnam.

Development cooperation is one of the pillars of Italy’s strategic partnership with Vietnam. We have been active since the 1990s and we carried out many initiatives in the fields of health, training, environmental rehabilitation, among others, thus contributing significantly to the country's development. Most recently, Italy donated 2.8 million vaccine doses to Vietnam.

During the visit, a joint research project was launched between the Polytechnic University of Marche and Hue University with the aim of managing cultural heritage data. The province has a strong tourist vocation and is home to one of the best-preserved imperial citadels in the East.

The results of the visit and prospects for future collaborations were discussed with the President of the Province, Nguyen Van Phuong.

The Embassy is committed to strengthening relations with the 63 provinces of Vietnam, which are the core of the country's economic dynamism.