Promoting swimming skills contributes to reducing drowning accidents.

On May 23rd, in Nam Sach commune, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hai Phong City, in coordination with the People's Committee of Nam Sach commune, organized the launching ceremony for the city's "All People Practice Swimming and Drowning Prevention" campaign in 2026.

Swimmers show their support at the launch ceremony. Photo: Manh Tu/TTXVN

The program involved 30 delegations comprising over 500 athletes from various localities, organizations, and schools.

According to Vu Khac Lich, Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, drowning has been a major cause of death for children and adolescents in recent years. One of the reasons for this is that children do not know how to swim and lack knowledge and skills in preventing and responding to drowning. In recent years, the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has coordinated with relevant departments, agencies, and organizations to direct and guide localities in developing plans to implement the Safe Swimming and Drowning Prevention Program for Children in the area.

The National Swimming Training Campaign is an activity aimed at promoting the benefits and effects of swimming, water safety skills, and encouraging all citizens to actively practice swimming to improve health, stature, physical fitness, and prevent diseases for children and the community. At the same time, it aims to promote the role and responsibility of all levels, sectors, families, schools, and society as a whole in developing the swimming teaching and learning movement and in preventing drowning accidents, contributing to gradually reducing drowning incidents.

Deputy Director of the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism , Vu Khac Lich, speaks at the launching ceremony. Photo: Manh Tu/TTXVN.

To promote the swimming movement and ensure effective drowning prevention, at the program, the leaders of the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested that departments, agencies, organizations, Party committees, and local authorities pay attention to developing swimming, considering it an effective means to develop physical fitness, stature, and prevent drowning among children.

The Deputy Director of the City's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism called on every citizen, especially parents, teachers, students, teenagers, and children, not only to actively practice swimming and learn about drowning prevention knowledge and skills, but also to promote and actively encourage family members, relatives, and friends to learn to swim and equip themselves with knowledge and skills to prevent drowning.

As a unit chosen by the city to host the launching ceremony, Nam Sach commune has been implementing practical solutions to prevent and combat drowning. According to Nguyen Huu Duong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Sach commune, the locality has placed warning signs in areas at risk of drowning, widely promoted swimming in schools, organized swimming lessons for students; and directed the Youth Union to organize free swimming classes for disadvantaged children.

Nam Sach commune has one swimming pool in the town center and two swimming pools in schools, with some schools having smart swimming pools. With the existing facilities, the commune will direct units to take advantage of the summer months to widely organize swimming activities for students, striving for over 50% of students in the commune to know how to swim and gradually increasing this percentage each year.

Swimmers show their support at the launch ceremony. Photo: Manh Tu/TTXVN

Along with organizing the launching ceremony, the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a document requesting communes, wards, and special zones to strengthen the implementation of central and city directives on preventing injuries and accidents, and the safe swimming program to prevent drowning among children; to promote and educate children, especially during the summer, on drowning prevention; to disseminate knowledge and skills on drowning prevention and participation in activities in riverine areas; and to renovate and repair locations with a high risk of drowning accidents. Local authorities need to strengthen inspection, supervision, and timely handling and prevention of risks causing drowning accidents among children; and ensure that water sports and recreational activities meet the required conditions.

In addition, localities need to resolutely address unsafe swimming instruction and learning centers; mobilize the participation of organizations, associations, and the public in monitoring, detecting, and warning of drowning accident risks; assign qualified swimming coaches, collaborators, and teachers to open safe swimming classes and improve the quality of swimming instruction for children; and strengthen social participation in building safe playgrounds and swimming pools, and organizing activities to popularize swimming for children...

Recently, there have been a series of serious drowning incidents in localities such as Dak Lak and Phu Tho. Most recently, on May 19th, a 6th-grade student in Phu Thai commune, Hai Phong city, also tragically drowned while swimming in a river. With the upcoming summer vacation and the rainy season, posing a significant risk of drowning accidents among children, Hai Phong's initiative to promote swimming training is crucial. This contributes to the effective implementation of Prime Minister's Directive No. 40/CĐ-TTg dated May 19, 2026, on preventing and combating drowning among children.

Along with the city-wide launch ceremony, communes, wards, and special zones will simultaneously launch the "All People Practice Swimming and Prevent Drowning" movement with various activities: swimming rallies, swimming competitions, quizzes on knowledge and skills in drowning prevention, and water-based games…

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/pho-cap-boi-gop-phan-giam-tai-nan-duoi-nuoc-20260523123853859.htm