Gov’t steps up drowning prevention efforts

Vietnam co-founds UN Group of Friends on Drowning Prevention

Vietnam tops South East Asia for child drownings
 

A swimming class in Yen Bai province (Photo: baoyenbai.com.vn)

Yen Bai was among eight provinces chosen by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to launch the project, which has been carried out in the province since April until December this year in the three districts of Luc Yen, Yen Binh and Van Yen.

The project, with aid of 3.6 billion VND (about 154,670 USD) from US-based Bloomberg Philanthropies, works to ensure that 900 children know how to swim and 900 families of children under six receive guidance in drowning prevention. It also runs communication activities on the issue.

In addition, training course to issue swimming and water safety instructor licenses will be arranged for 80 teachers, while 150 kindergarten teachers and 135 collaborators will receive training in drowning prevention skills.

The project comprises three main activities aiming to raise public awareness of drowning prevention, provide survival swimming and water safety skills to children aged 6 to 15 years old and enhance effective child supervision for prevention of drowning among children under five.

Nguyen Thanh Son from the Yen Bai Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs said that the province records about 20 cases of child death due to drowning each year, with most victims between 3 and 8 years old.-VNA