In less than 5 months, Nghe An province has seen 29 students drown.

On the morning of May 24th, the Department of Culture and Sports, in coordination with Thai Hoa town, organized the launching ceremony for the 2019 nationwide swimming training and drowning prevention campaign at Bau Sen Stadium, Thai Hoa town.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Departments of Culture and Sports; Education and Training; Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, leaders of 11 mountainous districts of Nghe An province, and more than 600 students from schools in Thai Hoa town.

Recently, in many localities throughout the province, the number of drowning incidents among people who know how to swim, and the number of mass drownings among children due to a lack of knowledge about prevention and rescue techniques, has been on the rise.

Representatives from 11 districts signed a commitment for all citizens to practice swimming to prevent drowning.

The purpose of organizing the 2019 National Swimming Training Campaign to Prevent Drowning is to raise awareness about the benefits and effects of swimming, water safety skills, and drowning prevention among all age groups, including children, thereby contributing to gradually reducing the number of drowning accidents.

In Nghe An province, 24 students drowned in 2017, 20 in 2018, and 29 in just the first five months of 2019.

This is an important activity in mobilizing the entire population to actively participate in swimming lessons to prevent and combat drowning, and to create a beneficial and healthy playground, improving the health and physical fitness of the younger generation. Through this, the role and responsibility of agencies, organizations, families, schools, all levels, sectors, associations, and the entire society in the work of preventing and combating drowning are promoted.

Representatives of the organizing committee presented life jackets to underprivileged students in Thai Hoa town.

Starting in 2019, launching ceremonies at various units and localities will be held annually and intensified during holidays.

At the launching ceremony, representatives from 11 districts: Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Anh Son, Con Cuong, Quy Hop, Quy Chau, Que Phong, Thanh Chuong, Tan Ky, Nghia Dan and Thai Hoa town signed a commitment for all citizens to practice swimming and prevent drowning.

Also this morning, many schools in the aforementioned 11 districts signed a commitment to build a safe swimming model with the motto "All students know how to swim," "The whole society knows how to swim."

The organizers provided drowning rescue training to the students participating in the launching ceremony.

At the launching ceremony, the organizers presented 20 life jackets to 20 underprivileged students in Thai Hoa town.

Later that same day, the Department of Culture and Sports will organize a training session to implement the 2019 safe swimming and drowning prevention program in Quy Hop district.