In brief [Archives:2008/1146/Local News]

SANA'A

French tourism agencies get acquaintance with Yemeni tourism plans

Minister of Tourism Nabil al-Faghih reaffirmed facilities which are provided by his ministry to local and foreign travel tourism agencies in Yemen.

During his meeting on Wednesday with a number of French tourism and travel agencies representatives, who are visiting Yemen currently, he spoke about services being provided by the ministry for foreign tourists and granting them the necessary facilities in the Yemeni embassies and consulates abroad.

The minister acquainted representatives of the French travel and tourism agencies over the developments in tourism sector in the country.

Worth to mention, the visit of chairmen of ATR, ATT, CETO, tourist associations, comes as a result of coordination between Yemeni embassy in Paris and French Tourism Authority in order to rise the number of tourists coming to Yemen.

French institute chooses Yemeni hills to exercise gliding

The French Institute for glider flying Axis-Gana has chosen the Maswar hills in Hajjah province to be the venue for its members to exercise gliding sport annually, the state-run 26sep.net has said.

The institute head Gille expressed his admiration for the area saying the hills are suitable for practicing the glider flying sport.

Institute members glided at the area for three days; three hours a day and along eighteen kilometers.

The decision of the institute will help promote tourism in the province, especially after the authorities set out plans to boost the glider flying and mountain tourism.

LAHJ

Cement factory to be set up in Lahj

The Asas Firm for the Manufacture and Marketing of Cement has presented a request for the establishment of a cement factory in Radfan district of Lahj province.

Director General of the General Authority for Investment in Lahj Nazeh al-Shuaebi said that the company had made the technical and economic studies of the YR 37 billion project.

Al-Shuaebi added that the productivity of the factory would be estimated at one million tons per year and it is expected to provide 700 jobs.

Campaign to vaccinate women against maternal, neo-natal tetanus launched

The ministry of Public Health and Population has launched a campaign to vaccinate women in the child bearing age against the dreaded disease of maternal and neo-natal tetanus.

According to a press release by the UNICEF, the campaign is launched by the government in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF, the World Health Organization WHO and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) GAVI.

The first round of the campaign targeting 60 high risk districts in four governorates and the five-day campaign is targeted to reach over 900.000 women, with a focus on pregnant mothers in sixty districts in the governorates of Lahj, Hodaida, Dhale and Ibb.

The first round is focused on 60 districts that are characterized by limited access to routine vaccination for pregnant women and insufficient antenatal care, where skilled delivery attendants are not available.

The second round is scheduled for May and the third will take place after six months.

The 5-day campaign builds on Yemen's accelerated disease-specific strategies through micro-planning and community based communication strategies. A major part of the campaign is disseminating messages on safe motherhood and use of hygienic practices through radio, social mobilization campaign.
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