The Asia Pacific Clinical Nutrition Society 1993 Award

To Professor Tu Giay - an eminent Vienamese nutritionist

Professor TU Giay was born in 1921 in Ha Tay province, Vietnam. In 1945, as a young physician, he joined a movement for independence and liberty of the country. During wartime he worked in the Vietnamese Popular Army as a hygienist-nutritionist. Under his guidance the magazine Enjoy for life popularized healthy lifestyle, basic knowledge of hygiene, sound nutrition, control of malaria the most important health problems of the time. He participated in the battle at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.

For a long time he was a teacher, Head of the Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Army College of Medicine. As an experienced and creative teacher, he introduced bio-statistics and applied them to medial research studies. His great interest has been to link knowledge with action.

After the war he became Director of the National Research Programme to improve the nutritional status of the Vietnamese people. As a result of these activities the National Institute of Nutrition was established in 1980. He was the founder and the first director of this Institute (1981-93). Under his direction, the Institute has contributed remarkably to the nutrition programme in Vietnam. Professor Tu Giay has been the initiator of the "VAC" movement (VAC - garden-fish-pond-animal husbandry) now widely accepted and expanded through the whole country. Tu Giay has been a pioneer in primary health care. He has been an active promoter of nutrition knowledge to the people. The socialization of health services has received ardent support from Tu Giay.

He has been an outstanding teacher and researcher as Professor of Hanoi Medical College, Department of Community Nutrition. He has been awarded many distinction in Vietnam such as "People's Doctor", "Labor medal of 2nd degree".. At 70 years, Tu Giay is still active - creative in his work for nutrition, and for the improvement of the nutritional status of Vietnamese people of Indo China and the Asia Pacific region.

He has survived and transcended the political events of his time in the interests of nutrition science and nutrition-related heart care.