As previously mentioned, this weekend, a number of the players from the Vietnam Swans, Thailand Tigers and Lao Elephants will be sporting new look moustaches. It’s all in the name of “Movember” to raise awareness for men’s health issues back in Australia. We’ll use the weekend’s Tri Nations’ Tournament to raise some money to assist a local charity.

The money will be donated to the The US Committee for Scientific Cooperation with Vietnam. They are a non-profit (501 (c) (3)) membership corporation and do not have a religious agenda. The group has ties with The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (dealing with the incidence and prevalence of disease in large populations and with detection of the source and cause of epidemics of infectious disease) and work within the HIV Department.

They are soon commencing a primary health care program in the northern highlands. They will add prostate to the primary screening and care. The program will be at the village level using trained community health workers with physicians from the province level providing back-up and supervision to the Commune Health Workers (CHW’s). They’re doing training for the CHW’s in January.

It is hoped that Dr Bui Duc Thang from the Committee will attend the footy on Saturday to present the medal for Mo of the Match. Meanwhile, Swans’ Sam the Man who has been one of the key promoters of Movember in Vietnam lives in Quang Ngai, Central Vietnam, which has been batterered by typhoons. Yesterday he reported:

“Right now it needs to stop raining in Quang Ngai. Mate, I’ve never seen anything like it – we’ve got floods and landslides like you wouldn’t believe. The road is closed between Quang Ngai and Danang (where the airport is) – best I start swimming to the airport – preparation is the key.”

Good luck Sam in making it to the airport so you can get to Hanoi for the weekend’s Tri Nations!