Quang Binh strives to prevent child drowning, abuse

Quang Binh (VNA) – Nearly 70 children in the central province of Quang Binh raised their voice on issues regarding child abuse and drowning at a forum in Dong Hoi city on August 7-8.

The forum was jointly held by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s chapter in Quang Binh, the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the representative office of humanitarian organisation Plan International Vietnam in Quang Binh.   

The child participants, who represent more than 129,000 children of the province, were also briefed on the Law on Children, relevant policies and laws of the State and the province, and children’s rights, and equipped with some rescue methods for drowning.

Within the forum, they had a dialogue with provincial leaders and representative from departments and agencies in the locality, during which they talked about such issues as school violence, child abuse, early marriage and drowning.

According to the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, about 20 cases of child drowning are reported in Quang Binh each year. In early 2019, the number was 33.

Truong Dinh Duong, Deputy Director of the department, attributed the rise of child drowning cases to negligence of parents, livelihood difficulties of local families, the shortage of playing grounds for children, and the lack of drowning prevention skills among them.

One of the significant solutions to the problem is enhancing the communication work in order to draw more care for children, he said, suggesting planting warning boards in unsafe areas, equipping children with drowning prevention skills, and mobilising the support of non-Government organisations for the work. -VNA