UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell in the trip to Gia Lai province (Source: UNICEF) UNICEF Vietnam cited Russell assaying that over the past decades, Vietnam has made great strides in ensuringthat children nationwide are healthy and safe, able to access education, and givenfavourable conditions to fully tap into their potential.
She said UNICEF will continuecooperating with the Vietnamese Government and partners so that all children,especially the most vulnerable, can access necessary services and assistance.
Aside from the achievements,child protection and care efforts in Vietnam are still encountering numerouschallenges, she noted, elaborating that some children are still suffering frompoverty and lack of access to protection and basic services. They are ethnicminority children, those whose parents working faraway, and those withdisabilities.
This situation has been worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts, she added.
Students disinfect hands before entering their school. (Photo: VNA) During the trip, Russell engaged in severalactivities in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai, where she visited somehealthcare establishments where examination and treatment are provided formalnourished children.
She noted that UNICEF is working topersuade the treatment of severe and chronic malnutrition to beincluded in the national health insurance scheme in Vietnam, and promote socialallowances to prevent child malnutrition.
The UNICEF leader also pointed outother risks facing children, including climate change impacts, while Vietnam isone of the most vulnerable to natural disasters, including flooding andlandslides.
She highly valued the VietnameseGovernment’s commitment to addressing the climate crisis and risks caused byclimate change to children.
Investment in improving adaptability and resilience is the key to settlingclimate issues as well as inequalities caused by climate change in the future, Russellsaid.
In Vietnam, UNICEF has been assistingthe Government to train teachers and reform school curricula. These efforts willhelp children adapt to climate change and improve their capability of creatingsolutions, she added./.
VNA
