Quang Ninh (VNA) – Vietnam officially launched the 2026 Action Month for Children on May 27, highlighting efforts to create a safer, healthier and more child-friendly environment that supports children’s physical, mental, intellectual and digital development.
Held under the theme “Happy and safe children confidently stepping into the digital era,” the nationwide campaign will feature a broad range of activities aimed at strengthening child protection awareness, promoting online safety, supporting disadvantaged children, and preventing accidents, injuries and drowning.
Addressing the launch ceremony, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, who also chairs the National Fund for Vietnamese Children (NFVC), stressed that investing in children is an investment in the country’s sustainable future.
She noted that the Party and State have consistently prioritised child welfare through policies such as tuition exemptions and reductions, meal support for semi-boarding students, the construction of inter-level boarding schools in border areas, and humanitarian programmes that have helped millions of disadvantaged children improve their lives.
The Vice President underscored the urgent need to equip children with life skills and digital literacy so they can safely navigate online spaces. She said this year’s theme aligns with the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, aiming to both protect children and strengthen their digital capabilities for the future workforce.
Xuan also expressed her concern that nearly 2 million children across the country remain in difficult circumstances or at risk of vulnerability, without adequate conditions for comprehensive development. Many continue to face pressures from modern society, while threats such as violence, abuse, drowning, accidents and natural disasters still pose serious risks to their wellbeing.
She warned that harmful content and violent behaviour in cyberspace are emerging as new threats to children’s healthy development.
According to the Vice President, digital transformation is an inevitable trend and a major national policy direction. However, she stressed that Vietnam’s 26 million children cannot be left to enter the digital environment without proper guidance, support and protection against online risks.
She called on ministries, sectors and local authorities to continue building safe and child-friendly living environments, improve legal frameworks, strictly address violence and abuse, and pay greater attention to children in remote, ethnic minority and disadvantaged areas. At the same time, comprehensive measures are needed to protect children online, strengthen self-protection education and promote a healthy digital ecosystem.
Nguyen Thi Hanh, Vice Chairwoman of the Quang Ninh provincial People’s Committee, said the province has consistently prioritised social welfare and child protection through policies such as tuition support and assistance with accommodation and transportation costs for students in remote and ethnic minority communities.
During this year’s Action Month, Quang Ninh province pledged to continue improving healthcare and education services while stepping up measures to prevent drowning and accidents among children.
On the occasion, organisations and businesses presented donations to the NFVC, which awarded 145 scholarships worth 2 million VND (76 USD) each, along with gifts valued at 350,000 VND, to children under 14 years old. At the ceremony, scholarships and gifts were presented to 60 disadvantaged students in Quang Ninh to encourage them to overcome hardships and continue their studies.
Earlier, Xuan visited the provincial Social Protection Centre, where she presented scholarships and gifts to the centre and 54 children currently receiving care there./.
