"Gaps" in child drowning prevention.

When young people don't stand on the sidelines

Over the past few weeks, many children in Anh Son district have participated in free swimming lessons organized by local youth organizations. This is one of the key activities for the district's youth during the summer, as Anh Son is a mountainous area with complex terrain, traversed by three major rivers: the Lam River, the Con River, and the Giang River. The entire district has 72 reservoirs and a dense network of rivers and streams with a surface area of ​​nearly 3,000 hectares. This natural feature creates many potential drowning hazards, especially for children.

Understanding the essential need for implementing drowning prevention activities for young people, starting in April, the Standing Committee of the Anh Son District Youth Union directed 100% of its affiliated Youth Union branches to closely coordinate with relevant departments, organizations, and schools to disseminate drowning prevention skills in schools, villages, and hamlets. Particular attention was paid to communes with many dangerous water sources.

The entire district has installed more than 104 prohibition signs, danger warning signs, and life-saving poles in river and stream areas, and launched two free swimming classes in Hung Son and Vinh Son communes.

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"Local youth organizations not only focus on raising awareness but also establish youth volunteer teams to monitor and remind young people not to play or swim in areas with potential risks, and are ready to provide rescue in case of incidents."

Comrade Nguyen Thi Huong Lien - Secretary of the Anh Son District Youth Union

In Quynh Luu district, which has a high density of ponds, lakes, and irrigation systems, measures to prevent and combat drowning have also been implemented comprehensively. This summer, the entire district organized over 60 awareness campaigns at youth groups, installed and repaired more than 50 warning signs in pond, lake, and stream areas, and organized 5 free swimming lessons for children in various communes.

In Yen Thanh district, drowning prevention has been incorporated into extracurricular activities and flag-raising ceremonies at 100% of the youth teams. This year, the entire district has installed more than 90 new warning signs at lakes, dams, and dangerous deep water areas, notably in Dong Thanh and Xuan Thanh communes; organized 3 free swimming lessons in Son Thanh commune; launched lifebuoy stations; and intensified public awareness campaigns in high-risk areas.

Implementing the motto "Every youth union member is a communicator about the risks of drowning accidents," the Nghe An Provincial Youth Union has directed its affiliated organizations to simultaneously carry out propaganda and education on drowning prevention skills; provide guidance on basic first aid; organize free swimming lessons; and install warning signs at dangerous water spots.

At the same time, promote the role of youth volunteer teams in monitoring and reminding children not to play or swim in areas with potential risks.

According to statistics, the entire province has installed and hung more than 2,500 warning signs at high-risk ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams.

Furthermore, the involvement of authorities plays a crucial role in preventing and minimizing drowning accidents. The Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department of Nghe An province regularly collaborates with youth organizations at all levels to organize training courses on rescue skills, first aid, escape techniques, and the use of life jackets and lifebuoys. Officers and soldiers have directly visited schools and residential areas to give talks and provide practical rescue training, helping students and residents acquire additional skills to respond in emergency situations.

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“We regularly organize awareness campaigns, provide guidance on water safety skills, and conduct rescue drills at schools and residential areas. However, for this work to be effective, cooperation from families is needed. Parents need to closely supervise their children when they play near rivers and lakes, and proactively equip them with swimming skills and emergency response skills. Each skill learned can save oneself and those around them.”

Captain Bui Van Hau – Secretary of the Youth Union of the Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue Police Department

There are still worrying "gaps".

Despite achieving many positive results, the work of preventing drowning among children still faces many challenges.

According to Dang Ngoc Minh, Secretary of the Quynh Luu District Youth Union, despite efforts to implement drowning prevention activities for children, the district experiences 5-7 drowning incidents among teenagers and children every year. Currently, the district has 25 communes and towns, many of which are coastal areas, and there are numerous ponds, lakes, and canals, making it impossible to deploy personnel for regular inspections. Furthermore, resources for organizing swimming lessons for teenagers and children are limited and cannot be expanded throughout the district. More importantly, many families still lack close supervision of their children during the summer, and cases of children going swimming without adult supervision still occur.

According to Lu Xuan Ha, Secretary of the Tuong Duong District Youth Union, an average of 2 to 3 children drown in the area each year. Despite the fact that Youth Union and Association organizations, in coordination with schools and local authorities, organize 3-4 free swimming lessons, 15 swimming skills training courses, and place over 30 warning signs in deep and dangerous water areas annually, the problem persists.

According to Tran Linh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union, the work of preventing drowning among children still faces many difficulties, as some localities have not been truly proactive in reviewing and warning about dangerous areas; and funding for organizing swimming lessons and purchasing life-saving equipment is limited.

In many rural areas, swimming facilities are inadequate, there is a shortage of qualified instructors, and regular swimming classes are not organized. Furthermore, the awareness of some parents is limited; they do not pay sufficient attention to supervising their children during the summer, resulting in children swimming freely in rivers and streams without adult supervision.

For drowning prevention efforts to be truly effective and sustainable, stronger involvement is needed from Party committees, government agencies, mass organizations, schools, and especially from each family.

Preventing drowning is not a seasonal or campaign-based task, but requires persistence, regular implementation, and targeted efforts. Only when every child knows how to swim and protect themselves, when every parent takes responsibility and closely supervises, and when every youth union official and local government takes decisive action, will tragic drowning accidents truly be prevented.

Importantly, we need to create healthy and enriching playgrounds so that children have more safe options during the summer months.

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Nghe An is a large province with 13 major and minor rivers totaling over 1,000 km in length, along with an 82 km coastline. The province has many canals, ponds, and lakes. On average, 45-50 child drowning accidents occur annually in Nghe An. Over the years, the province has issued numerous plans and directives to strengthen the implementation of programs and solutions to prevent accidents, injuries, and drowning among children. Youth organizations at all levels have implemented many programs and activities to protect children from accidents and injuries, especially drowning. However, there are still many gaps in this area.

Tran Linh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union and Chairman of the Provincial Children's Council of Nghe An Province.