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Vietnamese adolescents face a unique set of challenges, including economic insecurity, climate change and rapid urbanisation.
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| Adolescents need more care |
UNICEF Vietnam Representative Ms. Lotta Sylwander said at a press conference in Hanoi on February 28, that these challenges would intensify over the next decade, thus, adolescents should be equipped with the appropriate skills to deal with the demands of the coming years.
The conference was held to announce the latest UNICEF report, entitled “State of the World’s Children”.
According to Sylwander, Vietnam is home to 26.7 million adolescents, between 10 and 24 years of age. This is equal to almost one third of the population.
Roughly 503,400 Vietnamese children and adolescents under 15 are employed in heavy industry, and 633,400 work excessive hours per day.
About 283,700 children and adolescents under the age of 15 are affected by HIV/AIDS and require care and support. Many more are at risk of HIV infection. However, the Second Survey Assessment of Vietnamese Youth (SAVY II) showed that just 42.5% of people aged 15-24 have comprehensive knowledge how HIV is transmitted. This is far below the national target that had been set for 2010 of 95%.
Meanwhile, children trafficking, child prostitution and pornography are widespread. Official reports from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Can Tho and Tien Giang showed that the incidence of young female sex workers is increasing, and that 2% of them are adolescents. In Ho Chi Minh City, 16% of sex workers are between the ages 14-17.
The most common ongoing health problems among young people are cardio-vascular diseases (21.8%), digestive diseases (20.4%), goiters (12.7%), asthma (3.4%), vision problems (3.3%), tuberculosis (2.4%) and other dieases (9.9%).
Abortions among adolescents made up 2.2% of all abortion cases in Vietnam in 2010, according to the Ministry of Health’s Reproductive Health Report conducted in the year. About one third of young people in Vietnam have difficult access to reproductive health care and counselling services.
At the press conference, United Nations experts agreed that it is necessary to take adolescent and young people’s well-being and rights an integral part of the nation’s agenda. Investing more in adolescents’ protection activities is the most effective way to consolidate the historic gains achieved for children in Vietnam.
Particularly, investing in adolescents can accelerate the country’s fight against poverty, HIV/ AIDS, socio-economic disparities and gender discrimination.
Sylwander emphasised that the United Nations stands ready to support the Government of Vietnam in an concerted effort to meet its goals on these issues.