In an initial effort at scientific cooperation on studies of the use of chemical defoliants during the Vietnam War, the U.S.-Vietnam Scientific Conference on Human Health and Environmental Effects of Agent Orange/Dioxins will be held March 3 to 6 at the Daewoo Hotel (http://www.hanoi-daewoohotel.com/) in Hanoi, the United States' organizing group announced today.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (http://www.niehs.nih.gov), a part of the federal National Institutes of Health (http://www.nih.gov/) , said the meeting will bring together experts from around the world to discuss what's known about the effects of Agent Orange and its major contaminants - the Dioxins, what's known about reducing the exposures of people to these chemicals, and what further research may be needed. The conference is expected to provide a foundation for cooperative research projects and future research funding.

For registration and accommodations information, scientists should contact Amy Hartlaub at (202) 973-8693 or US-Vietnam@courtesyassoc.com.

The U.S. members of the organizing committee are Christopher Portier and Walter Rogan of the NIEHS; William Farland of the Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov) ; Drue Barrett of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov) ; Linda Schwartz of the Yale University School of Nursing (http://nursing.yale.edu/) ; Brenda Eskenazi of the University of California at Berkeley (http://www.berkeley.edu/) , and Sandra Lange (US coordinator) of NIEHS. The Vietnamese members are Le Ngoc Trong, Vice Minister of Health; Nguyen Ngoc Sinh, director general of the National Environment Agency; Nguyen Van Tuong of Hanoi Medicine College; Tran Van Phuong of the Ministry of Health (Vietnamese coordinator); Tran Van Tu, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Dang Vinh Thien of the Vietnam Association on Conservation of Nature and Environment Protection; and Tran Manh Hung of the General Association of Medicine and Pharmacy of Vietnam.

Reporters interested in covering the conference should contact the office listed below to indicate an interest as soon as possible. A visa to enter the country is required.

Contact: Ms. Angie Sanders, (919) 541- 0530; fax (919) 541- 0295; sanders5@niehs.nih.gov.