The Da Nang Department of Foreign Affairs and Thrive Networks, also known as East Meets West, on Thursday, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to implement “The Building Healthy Cities (BHC)” project in the city.

Funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the project will be implemented during the 2019 -  2020 period at a total cost of more than 400,000 US$.

Ms Belinda Abraham, the Viet Nam Country Director and Regional Programme Director of the East Meets West, highlighted the significance of the project in enhancing the health and wellbeing of local residents amid the ongoing implementation of the smart city building project.

The proposed areas selected for the implementation in the project include food safety, medical supervision in the education system, air pollution prevention, and waste management that affect the city’s tourism industry.

BHC is implemented by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) with partners International Organisation for Migration, Thrive Networks Global, and Urban Institute, and with support from Engaging Inquiry, LLC.

The project aims to refocus city policies, planning, and services with a health equity lens while improving data-driven decision-making for Smart Cities in Indore, India, and Makassar, Indonesia. Da Nang was recently added as an additional focus city.