American doctor honored for decades of humanitarian work and Vietnam's foreign cooperation
American doctor Greig Craft has received the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Italy’s highest civilian honor, for his outstanding humanitarian work and long-standing contributions to strengthening medical cooperation between Vietnam and Italy.
THE HANOI TIMES — The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Italy’s highest civilian honor, was recently awarded to American doctor Greig Craft, recognizing his remarkable contributions to humanitarian and social work.
Dr. Craft was honored for working with Italian doctors to treat Vietnamese patients and promote medical exchange programs between the two countries.
He is the President of the Asia Injury Prevention (AIP) Foundation and co-founder of the “Thien Nhan and Friends” program for children with urogenital malformations.
“Tropical-style” helmets
When Greig Craft first arrived in Vietnam in 1989, he found a country undergoing rapid change. Living conditions and the number of motor vehicles were rising quickly, leading to a surge in traffic accidents that claimed many young lives.
Ambassador of Italy to Vietnam, Marco della Seta (left), gives the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic to Greig Craft on November 4. Photos courtesy of the AIP Foundation
Shocked by what he saw, he began studying road safety and decided to act. In 1999, he founded the AIP Foundation to address Vietnam’s growing road safety crisis.
“I started AIP Foundation with a simple mission: to protect vulnerable road users with life-saving solutions. Since then, we have worked to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries in developing countries,” he said.
Dr. Craft focused on promoting helmet use among motorcyclists. He and a team of international specialists designed the world’s first “tropical helmet”, a lightweight, affordable model suited for warm and humid climates like Vietnam.
The tropical-style helmet offered maximum protection without causing discomfort and became the foundation for a nationwide movement to save lives on Vietnam’s roads.
Since then, Dr. Craft has expanded his work to include pedestrian safety, speeding prevention, driver education, school zone safety and training for industrial workers.
“Thien Nhan and Friends” Foundation
For more than three decades, Dr. Greig Craft has devoted himself to humanitarian and diplomatic activities in Vietnam.
He co-founded the “Thien Nhan and Friends” program in 2011 with Tran Mai Anh, the foster mother of Thien Nhan, his wife Na Huong and Italian surgeon Dr. Roberto De Castro.
The program was inspired by Thien Nhan’s story, a baby abandoned and seriously injured who survived against all odds, and by the desire to help children with similar conditions live full lives.
Over the years, the program has offered free medical consultations and reconstructive surgeries to thousands of children across Vietnam.
Working with major Vietnamese hospitals and volunteer doctors from Italy, the United Kingdom, Turkey, the United States and Vietnam, the program has improved access to treatment and strengthened Vietnam’s healthcare capacity.
Beyond surgery, it organizes professional workshops, provides international training for Vietnamese doctors and donates essential medical equipment, helping build sustainable healthcare systems.
Dr. Greig Craft said the most meaningful reward lies not in titles or medals but in stepping into clinics and operating rooms alongside Italian and Vietnamese surgeons.
Dr. Craft has accompanied Thien Nhan and his mother since the early days of their medical journey, traveling to Singapore, the United States, Italy and Belgium for treatment. He also played a key role in normalizing US–Vietnam relations and founded AmCham Vietnam.
Recognition of a lifetime of service
Twelve years after founding AIP Foundation, Dr. Craft received Vietnam’s Presidential Order of Friendship, the highest civilian honor granted to foreign nationals.
Former Transport Minister Ho Nghia Dung praised his “outstanding contributions to road safety in Vietnam” and noted that his “tropical helmet design has saved countless lives.”
Last week in Hanoi, Ambassador of Italy to Vietnam Marco Della Seta presented the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic to Dr. Craft for his long-term contributions to Vietnam–Italy medical cooperation.
Thien Nhan (center) is dubbed ‘Miracle Baby’ as he's infant boy whose genitals and leg were cut off and severely mauled by animals after being abandoned in a jungle at birth.
The ambassador said the award recognized Dr. Craft’s “outstanding dedication and lasting impact on Vietnamese children’s lives.”
“Greig Craft is a great friend of both Vietnam and Italy and a symbol of compassion, medicine and international friendship,” said Ambassador Della Seta.
“From organizing life-changing surgeries to building training networks, he has helped create a humanitarian ecosystem that has transformed thousands of Vietnamese families’ lives.”
Yet for Greig Craft, the most meaningful reward lies not in titles or medals but in stepping into clinics and operating rooms alongside Italian and Vietnamese surgeons.
There, each child’s smile after surgery reflects the value of coordinated kindness and care across countries.
