Drowning accidents among children: A wake-up call.

During the hot summer months, children often gather to swim in pools, rivers, ponds, and lakes. Due to a lack of skills and an overawareness of the dangers, they are very susceptible to drowning. Given the high rate of child drowning deaths in our country, developing programs and implementing solutions to prevent drowning is absolutely essential.

Danger is always lurking.

Although nearly three years have passed since the incident, Ngo Thi Nhu Quynh, an 8th-grade student at Trang Viet Secondary School in Trang Viet commune, Me Linh district, Hanoi, still cannot forget the image of her six female friends drowning. That day, around 12 PM on September 2nd, 2011, Quynh went to her friend Yen's house for a birthday party. After the party, Quynh and her friends went to the riverbank to swim, and then the accident happened. "Sitting on the bank, I saw them sinking… About an hour later, the villagers pulled them out of the water, but sadly, all six had already passed away. Their sudden death left their parents, siblings, friends, and villagers in shock and immense grief," Quynh lamented.

Teaching children to swim is one of the effective measures to prevent drowning accidents. Photo: Son Ha

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, drowning incidents have decreased compared to 2010, but remain high, especially during the summer. Vietnam has the highest drowning mortality rate in Southeast Asia, 10 times higher than developed countries. In 2012, more than 3,300 children and adolescents died from drowning nationwide, averaging about 9 deaths per day. More than 50% of drowning cases occur outdoors when children swim in ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, and the sea without adult supervision. Many drowning deaths of children are heartbreaking, such as: the case of 4 young children in Phu Do village, Me Tri ward, Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi, who lost their lives swimming in a "pond" at a construction site without supervision or warning signs; and the case of 8 students from An My Secondary School, My Duc district, Hanoi, who died while swimming in Tuy Lai lake. Two students from Van Noi Primary School in Dong Anh district, Hanoi, went fishing together and died in a large pool of water at a construction site near their home…

According to Mr. Doan Mau Diep, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the main causes of drowning incidents are the carelessness and negligence of adults and the lack of swimming knowledge and skills among children. Furthermore, community awareness of drowning accidents among children remains very limited. "We need to raise the alarm about the situation of child drowning, reminding parents to pay attention to and equip their children with knowledge and skills for water safety; reminding their children to be careful when going to ponds and lakes; and especially reminding them not to swim in ponds, lakes, and rivers without adult supervision," Mr. Doan Mau Diep emphasized.

Which solution is effective?

Drowning incidents involving children can occur in their immediate surroundings, at school, or in public places. To mitigate this, the Prime Minister issued Decision 2158/QD-TTg on the prevention and control of child injuries during the period 2013-2015. According to this decision, by 2015, the number of child deaths due to drowning will be reduced by 15% compared to 2010; at least 50% of primary school children and 70% of lower secondary school children will know how to swim and possess self-rescue skills. At least 70% of children use life jackets or flotation devices when participating in waterway transportation… The National Traffic Safety Committee, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union launched a nationwide action program "For the safety of children on waterways," implemented over 3 years (2013-2015) to raise awareness, consciousness, and responsibility of each individual and community regarding drowning prevention… Most recently, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in coordination with the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, World Vision, and UNICEF, launched a campaign to prevent child drowning.

At a recent seminar in Hanoi organized by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to share experiences and solutions for preventing drowning, experts in the field of drowning prevention suggested that reducing the death rate from drowning requires the simultaneous implementation of many solutions such as: strengthening propaganda and improving knowledge and skills in drowning prevention; building a safe living environment for children; popularizing first aid skills for drowning victims among the grassroots health network and the team of collaborators protecting and caring for children in the community; strengthening measures for waterway safety; maintaining summer activities and child management during the summer. Among these, the family is the most important factor; young children need the attention and care of their families, especially the teaching and training of safe swimming skills from a young age…

According to Hanoi Moi Online