The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs announced on May 25 that June has been earmarked for a string of programs to protect children from accidents and injuries.

Dang Hoa Nam, Director of the ministry’s Department of Child Protection and Care, said all 63 provinces and cities nationwide have readied to join the action month.

Their activities will feature mass communication campaigns on wearing helmets and life jackets, along with summer camps and swimming classes, he added.

Teaching swimming for children

On the occasion, the National Fund for Vietnamese Children will deliver gifts worth more than VND 2.5 billion (USD 112,500) to nearly 5,000 children.

The 4th ASEAN Children’s Forum is scheduled to take place in Hanoi in June.

According to the Health Ministry, between 2010 and 2014, everyday there were approximately 580 children facing a host of incidents from electric shocks and burns to traffic accidents and drowning. These have become the top causes of disabilities for the group.

The rate of accidents occurring among children in Vietnam is about eight times higher than that in developed countries, with fatalities most commonly caused by traffic accidents and drowning.

Source: VNA