Vietnam works hard to reduce accident-related child fatalities, injuries hinh anh 1Children are equipped with water safety skills. (Photo: VNA) 
Hanoi (VNA) - The rate of accident-related child fatalities and injuries in Vietnam is equal to that in middle-income and regional nations, but still three times higher than the rate in high-income countries, heard a seminar in Hanoi on November 30.

The seminar aimed to deploy a programme on child accident and injury prevention for the 2021 - 2030 period, which was approved by the Prime Minister on July 19, 2021.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha said in the 2016-2020, the programme has created a positive change of relevant ministries, sectors, localities and related parties in directing and implementing child accident and injury prevention.

So far, over 6 million houses meeting safe standards have been constructed. Vietnam has also 26,000 schools meeting the criteria of safe schools, and 6000 communes, wards and towns satisfying the criteria of safe community.

The rate of child accidents decreased from 1,001/100,000 cases in 2016 to 600/100,000 in 2020, while the rate of children who died from and were injured by accidents was down to 17/100,000 in 2020 from 19.7/100,000 in 2016.

The number of children who died from drowning averagely decreased by 100 cases per year,  90 percent of children wore life jackets when participating in  waterway transport, 90 percent and 50.3 percent of primary and secondary pupils have been equipped with knowledge of road traffic safety and water safety skills, respectively.

According to Doan Thi Thu Huyen, Country Director of the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) in Vietnam, drowning is one of the 10 leading causes of death for children aged 6-15.

She underlined the need to consider swimming as a compulsory subject, and develop a team of volunteers where physical education teachers and youths will play a core role.

Communication campaigns to raise public awareness of drowning accidents and how to prevent drowning accidents should be step up on social networks, Huyen added.

Over the past three years, the child drowning prevention programme has organized safe swimming training for more than 14,000 children and equipped over 30,200 others with water safety skills, she revealed./.
VNA