The National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children and the Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs cooperated to hold a seminar on "Child Downing Prevention" on Dec. 7 in Hanoi. The event served as a forum to report survey results and propose coordination solutions to enhance the effectiveness of policy and law implementation on child drowning prevention and control.
The seminar welcomed representatives of the National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children, relevant committees, ministries, departments, localities, the World Health Organization in Vietnam and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK).
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| At the event (Photo: CTFK) |
According to Dang Hoa Nam, Head of the Department of Child Affairs, Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, providing swimming lessons lies among the most effective measures to prevent drowning. Assoc.Prof.Dr. Pham Viet Cuong, University of Public Health, studies have proved that in low- and middle-income countries such as rural China, Bangladesh, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia, teaching children to swim is an effective way to reduce the risk of drowning.
The children's drowning prevention program implemented by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, and CTFK since 2018 has been an outstanding achievement in the field in recent years.
Supported by Bloomberg Charity Foundation, USA, the program has provided free swimming lessons to more than 29,000 children aged 6-15 years, water safety skills lessons to nearly 50,000 children, raised awareness for parents and carers on safety measures, drowning prevention, constructed and operated 87 swimming pools at schools.
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| Doan Thu Huyen, CTFK's Vietnam Country Director (Photo: CTFK) |
The program offers a comprehensive solution, not only teaching children to swim but also equipping children with floating skills and safety knowledge, which is among WHO's guideline on drowning prevention.
According to Doan Thu Huyen, CTFK's Vietnam Country Director, from 2023 to 2025, the organization would provide additional support of USD 2.1 million for the child drowning prevention program in Vietnam, which would be spent to expand the intervention area in 16 provinces and cities, teach swimming to more than 25,000 children aged 6 to 15 and safety skills to 50,000 children.
Long Pham / Thoidai
