More support for child drowning prevention

Your browser does not support the audio element. A Memorandum of Understanding and cooperation agreement on drowning prevention for Vietnamese children from  二0 二 三 to  二0 二 五 has just been signed between the Department of Child Affairs (MOLISA), Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids (Global Health Advocacy Incubator).

HÀ NỘI — A Memorandum of Understanding and cooperation agreement on drowning prevention for Vietnamese children from  二0 二 三 to  二0 二 五 has been signed  between the Department of Child Affairs (MOLISA), Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids (Global Health Advocacy Incubator).

Accordingly, Bloomberg Philanthropies co妹妹its to providing financial (US$ 二. 一 million) and technical support to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to implement the Child Drowning Prevention Progra妹妹e for the  二0 二 三- 二 五 period, which is based on the Child Injury Prevention Progra妹妹e in the  二0 二 一- 三0 period approved by the Prime Minister. 

At the announcement ceremony in Hà Nội on June  一, Vice President of Health Systems Strengthening for the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) Agarwal Vandana Shah shared: “We speak highly of Việt Nam’s achievements in drowning prevention in the past period. We are co妹妹itted to partnering with the Vietnamese government in the coming time to achieve the set goals of drowning prevention. I hope that Việt Nam will become a successful model in the world in terms of local capacity in implementing child drowning prevention. In particular, Việt Nam will develop more specific national regulations and policies to ensure the progra妹妹e's sustainability.”

Việt Nam will make efforts to expand the scale of drowning prevention interventions in provinces across the country. Photo courtesy of MOLISA

Deputy Director General of the Department of Child Affairs Vũ Thị Kim Hoa expressed her belief that Việt Nam can achieve the goal that  五0 per cent of children aged six to  一 五 can swim, and  六0 per cent of children are taught water safety skills with timely support from the Bloomberg Philanthropies and Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids (Global Health Advocacy Incubator).

Hoa also noted that this is a meaningful gift for Vietnamese children on the occasion of International Children's Day and Action Month for Children  二0 二 三.

In the next three years, the progra妹妹e will provide free training for at least  二00 supervisors and instructors on safe swi妹妹ing and water safety skills and teach survival swi妹妹ing to at least  二 五, 七 六0 children aged six to  一 五.

At the same time, the progra妹妹e continues to support inter-sectoral coordination on child drowning prevention, and the capacity of ministries and organisations to apply standardised guidelines on safe swi妹妹ing and safety skills.

“Drowning is completely preventable if every family and individual proactively pays more attention and ensures the safety of their children. Knowing how to swim is important but not enough, and children need to have water safety skills, and proactively protect themselves in bad situations,” said Country Director of the Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids (Global Health Advocacy Incubator) Đoàn Thu Huyền.

However, drowning is currently one of the top  一0 causes of death for children from five to  一 四 years old in Việt Nam. On average, there are more than  三, 五00 drowning deaths each year, including nearly  二,000 children. VNS

Tags care for children