Improve skills, reduce drowning incidents.

In mid-May, a group of five students in Phu Tho went swimming in a river and never returned to their families. A few days later, two male students in Ha Tinh also lost their lives while fishing. Every summer, these tragic deaths by drowning recur, causing distress. Drowning is also the leading cause of injury among children in Vietnam.

Local authorities need to strengthen efforts to promote and teach children how to swim. Photo: NGUYEN MINH

According to statistics, more than 2,000 children die from drowning in Vietnam each year. This means that approximately 5 children are tragically lost to their parents every day. While these figures may be merely statistics in the media, in reality, thousands of families live with the loss, the anguish, and potentially other tragedies. Many children suffer lasting consequences due to delayed first aid, leading to oxygen deprivation and brain damage.

To protect their children, many parents choose to forbid them from going near rivers, lakes, and the sea. Even if the school organizes a field trip involving water, they absolutely forbid their children from participating. This kind of protection seems rather extreme! Instead of prohibition, parents should equip their children with self-protection and self-rescue skills. Swimming should be an essential survival skill. Alongside that, they should also learn first aid and appropriate handling procedures in case of drowning.

With that in mind, during the period 2018-2025, the Vietnam Child Drowning Prevention Program was piloted, contributing to a 16% reduction in drowning mortality rates in the project's implementing localities. More than 400,000 children learned to swim, and tens of thousands participated in classes teaching water safety skills.

To date, safe swimming instruction has been integrated into the Prime Minister's decisions on preventing child injuries in the period 2021-2030 and the Program to strengthen education on knowledge and skills for preventing drowning for students in the period 2025-2035, incorporating safe swimming and water safety skills into school curricula. In Ho Chi Minh City, free swimming classes for the public have become a popular choice for many people and children in recent times.

Today, May 23rd, the city is launching a program to encourage all citizens to practice swimming and prevent drowning in 2026, expected to attract approximately 2,000 participants. One of the key messages here is "Don't risk your life to save someone from drowning." Children are advised not to directly enter the water to rescue people in dangerous situations, but to calmly call for help and rescue forces. The persistence of drowning prevention programs is creating a lifeline for children to protect themselves. This is also a way to prevent any more parents from suffering the tragedy of losing their children to drowning.

MINH KHUE

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/tang-ky-nang-giam-duoi-nuoc-post853996.html