Prime Minister requests to strengthen work to prevent child drowning

In recent times, the Government, the Prime Minister, and the National Committee for Children have issued many directives on the prevention of child drowning. With the active participation of ministries, branches, localities, families, and communities in the prevention of drowning, the number of children who die from drowning has decreased year by year. However, recently, drowning incidents causing deaths of many children still occur frequently and at a high rate in some localities. In order to continue to effectively implement this work and ensure the safety of children, especially in the upcoming summer, rainy season, and storms, the Prime Minister requests ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to focus on directing and implementing synchronously, drastically, and effectively the tasks and solutions on the prevention of drowning for children, focusing on the following contents:

1. Ministries, branches and localities continue to seriously implement Decision No. 1248/QD-TTg dated July 19, 2021 of the Prime Minister on approving the Program on prevention and control of child accidents and injuries for the period 2021-2030 and Directive No. 23/CT-TTg dated May 26, 2020 of the Prime Minister on strengthening solutions to ensure the implementation of children's rights and child protection, with special attention to the prevention and control of drowning for children; and the directions of the National Committee for Children.

2. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs is responsible for:

a) Urge and guide ministries, branches, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to strictly implement the directions of the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the National Committee for Children on child drowning prevention and control, and annually report to the Prime Minister on the implementation results;

b) Strengthen inspection and examination of the implementation of child drowning prevention work in localities, especially localities where child drowning frequently occurs;

c) Regularly review and promptly propose to the Government, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the National Committee for Children effective mechanisms, policies, and measures to prevent and combat child drowning.

3. The Ministry of Education and Training is responsible for:

a) Deploy and guide the dissemination of knowledge and skills on drowning prevention to each school, class, and student, especially before each summer vacation;

b) Promote the movement of teaching safe swimming to students in schools;

c) Strengthen propaganda and education to raise awareness and consciousness so that children know and comply with regulations on drowning prevention and control, especially in places with potential drowning risks to ensure their own safety;

d) Further promote coordination between schools and families to manage and supervise students during school and summer breaks to ensure safety and prevent drowning.

d) Provide guidance to localities on organizing swimming lessons, swimming skills training and related necessary conditions and support, discount on tickets, costs of swimming lessons, swimming skills training, and related services for students and children.

4. The Ministry of Health is responsible for directing and guiding medical examination and treatment facilities in providing first aid, emergency care, treatment, and emergency transportation for drowning children.

5. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is responsible for:

a) Mobilize and promote family responsibility in looking after, supervising, and reminding children about the risks and skills to prevent and combat drowning, proactively taking children to swimming lessons and learning safety skills in the water environment;

b) Deploy and guide the construction and maintenance of swimming pool systems at sports and physical training facilities and encourage sports and tourism service facilities with swimming pools to support safe swimming classes in water environments for children.

6. The Ministry of Information and Communications directs press agencies to promote communication and information work to raise awareness and responsibility of agencies, organizations, educational institutions, families and communities on preventing and combating child drowning; disseminate knowledge and skills on preventing and combating child drowning; and disseminate measures and skills for first aid and emergency care for drowning children.

7. The Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union directs and guides Youth Union organizations at all levels to coordinate with educational institutions and local authorities to receive, manage, and organize summer activities in residential areas, focusing on activities to train knowledge and skills to prevent and combat drowning for adolescents and children.

8. Ministries and ministerial-level agencies, based on their functions and tasks, proactively coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to direct People's Committees at all levels to effectively implement child drowning prevention and control work.

9. The Chairman of the People's Committee of the provinces and centrally-run cities directs the People's Committees at all levels to:

a) Direct, organize, and coordinate between sectors and organizations, especially the Youth Union, Women's Union, organizations, members of the Commune-level Child Protection Committee, and volunteers to closely manage children during the time they are not in school, especially during summer vacations, storms, floods, and natural disasters to ensure the safety of children, especially drowning. Organize and mobilize households to commit to the responsibility of building safe houses and ensuring the safety of children;

b) Review and create timely warning maps of locations (water holes, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, deep and dangerous water areas, water storage structures, etc.) that are at risk of causing drowning accidents in the area; implement preventive and remedial measures (such as building barriers, warning signs, warnings, reminders, etc.);

c) Directing increased investment in facilities serving the organization of swimming lessons in educational institutions; increasing communication on responsibilities, disseminating knowledge and skills on drowning prevention for parents, children, students and the community; on mass media, commune and ward broadcasting systems;

d) Direct and guide the enhancement of physical training, sports, recreational activities, cultural and artistic activities for children in the summer;

d) Proactively allocate annual local budgets according to current budget allocations to implement child drowning prevention and control work and mobilize society to build and maintain physical facilities, sports facilities, develop smart swimming pool systems and safe open water sources to organize classes to teach water safety skills and popularize safe swimming for children, especially in remote areas and areas where child drowning has occurred; provide appropriate funding for swimming lessons and training in safe swimming skills to prevent drowning for students and children.

e) Inspect and examine the implementation of child drowning prevention work by agencies, organizations and authorities at all levels; clarify the responsibilities of leaders in implementing drowning prevention measures at the local level;

g) Report to the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs on the situation and results of drowning prevention and control work in the locality to synthesize and report to the Prime Minister.

10. Requesting Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government agencies, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to directly direct the implementation, regularly inspect, urge, and promptly take measures to ensure safety in preventing and combating drowning for children./.

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