The nation expects to reduce the annual rate of child accidents and injuries to 500 per 100,000 children by 2030, according to a program recently approved by the Prime Minister.
Promulgated under Decision 1248/QD-TTg dated July 19, the program aims to mitigate accidents and injuries of all kinds suffered by children, particularly drowning and vehicle crashes, with a view to ensuring their health and well-being.
Accordingly, in the next 10 years, the rate of child fatality caused by accidents will be reduced to around five per 100,000 children; that of child fatality and injury caused by traffic accidents will drop by 5-10 percent annually; and there will be about 15,000 schools meeting safety standards for pupils.
At the same time, the program sets the targets of having 95 percent of children aged between 6 and 16 years provided with knowledge about regulations on road safety and 60 percent of them able to swim; and all village- and school-based medical workers will be trained in providing first aid for injured children.
Under the program, all provinces and centrally-run cities are required to collect information and data on children’s accidents and injuries; and at the same time, pilot and scale up projects aimed at offering lessons on how to avoid accidents and injuries, stay safe in the water and swim for children.- (VLLF)
