Authorities of Mekong Delta Dong Thap province are taking all necessary measures to minimise the drowning mortality rate among children and help children protect themselves from drowning, especially during the current flood season.

The provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has cooperated with relevant sectors and agencies to open more swimming courses and further enhance public awareness of the issue.

In the 2014-2015 school year, the province has maintained over 400 community-based places to take care of some 7,000 children in rural areas.

Since the beginning of this year, 35 local children have been drowned, nearly doubling the figure of 2013. More than 75 percent of the fatalities were six-year-old children.

Drowning is one of the leading child killers in Vietnam , with over 3,300 deaths in 2012, equivalent to about nine cases every day. The figure is 10 times higher than the average figure of regional developing countries. Half of the victims were bathing in ponds, lakes, rivers or the sea without adult supervision.-VNA