Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Dong Thap (VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has beensuccessful in its efforts to prevent children from drowning.
Outstanding models include the Safe House, Safe Community, Safe School,Safe Kindergarten, swimming training programme for children and actionprogramme for children’s safety on waterway traffic.
Huynh Duy Khuong, Vice Director of the provincial Department of Labour,Invalids and Social Affairs said that the Safe House model has been launched in108 communes.
The localities have received financial support to prevent children’sdrowning. Some 70 percent of families engaging in the model have been certifiedas safe, he said.
Meanwhile, the Safe Community certification has been presented to 16communes, wards and towns.
The provincial Department of Education and Training has issuedregulations on the building of safe schools with measures against accidents anddrowning among kindergartens.
So far, the model of community-based safe kindergarten has covered 1,358pre-school facilities with 26,438 children from 18 months to 5 years old.
At the same time, the provincial Centre for Sports and Physical Trainingannually gives summer swimming training to 500-800 children aged from 9-15.
Dong Thap has also strengthened communications among parents on the needto intensify the training of life skills to children, including preventivemeasures against drowning, while mobilising social resources in buildingswimming pools in schools.
According to ViceDirector of the Vietnam Sports and Physical Training Administration Pham VanTuan, drowning is the leading cause of death in children and adolescents inVietnam, especially in the summer and storm season.
He noted that an initial report showed that the ratio of children whocan swim in Vietnam remains under 30 percent.
A report by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs showedthat about 2,000 children lost their lives to water in Vietnam each yearbetween 2015 and 2017.-VNA
VNA
