A British non-governmental organisation operating in medicine will begin to stage a skit in HCM City this month to educate children in the prevention of bacterial infections and raise their awareness of resistance to antibiotics.

It will be staged under the Science Theatre, a project by the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) which was set up by the Wellcome Trust, the largest medical charity in the UK , to foster public engagement in science and highlight important health issues.

OUCRU will co-operate with the city’s Thai Binh Duong Company Theatre to stage “ An Amazing Battle ” through May at 25 primary and secondary schools in the city, reaching an estimated 25,000 students.

The play, directed by Hong Phuong, will see popular actors like Dinh Toan, and Dai Nghia play mythical characters like “Ong Dia” (the God of Earth symbolising prosperity) and “Thanh Giong” (Saint Giong, a Vietnamese legendary hero).

When a young boy discovers Ong Dia has fallen ill, he and Thanh Giong use magic to become microscopic and travel into Ong Dia’s body to find the cause of the illness.

With the help of a doctor and a useful bacterium, they learn about the causes and prevention of bacterial infections and safe treatment methods.

“Through this work, we hope to raise awareness about health and scientific related issue of relevance to people of all ages”, the organisers said.

The Oxford University Clinical Research Unit was established in 1991 and operates in Vietnam with support from the Hospital for Tropical Diseases and HCM City ’s Department of Health.

It also collaborates with hospitals and other institutions across Vietnam and Southeast Asia./.