“We need to avoid war,” is the call from a Vietnamese medical doctor and 2024 Magsaysay Awardee, as she draws on the lingering effects of the US-Vietnam War that continue to affect lives many decades later. 

“We need to avoid war at all costs because war is not the solution. We do not need war, we need peace, and we need to protect the planet for our future generations,” Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, a Vietnamese professor and leading medical doctor said during a video conference interview. 

At the peak of the US-Vietnam war, Ms. Nguyen witnessed the harrowing sight of children born with severe deformities, including missing brains and limbs—a chilling first in her lifetime. 

“I also cry, and I can’t sleep for many days… many weeks, repeatedly I saw many cases like that so that I was so surprised (because) we never see such frequent birth defects (before),” she said.  

The terrible mystery led her to research the truth about Agent Orange, a chemical weapon sprayed by the US from 1962 to 1971.  

The study by Mrs. Nguyen and her associates revealed that areas exposed to Agent Orange suffered from birth defects three times more than other places. 

It is estimated that 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to dioxin, one of the most toxic and poisonous chemicals of Agent Orange, which resulted in serious birth defects among 150,000 children, according to the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).  

As she discovered the harmful effects of Agent Orange, she eventually championed the victims internationally, working with the American Public Health Association and other forums to seek compensation from chemical companies. 

“The victims, they always want to have justice, so that (is why) we continue to ask justice for them,” Mrs. Nguyen said 

Due to her efforts, Vietnam has successfully held the United States accountable for cleaning up areas affected by Agent Orange. 

Compensation has also been provided to its victims and disabled individuals from USAID to the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA). 

For Mrs. Nguyen, the struggle against the lingering effects of the US-Vietnam War, even 50 years later, is far from finished.  

The global community has to join forces in this ongoing effort, she said.  

“We have to continue to be together, (we need) to have international collaboration between many countries, many scientists, many NGOs… Also, support…for victims of Agent Orange for them to have a better life,” Mrs. Nguyen said.  

She also emphasized the need for relentless global awareness to avoid war and prevent the use of mass-killing weapons. – Edg Adrian A. Eva