Accidental injuries likely to increase among children

More than 20 Vietnamese children are killed in accidents every day and many of them suffer serious disabilities or permanent psychological wounds.

Injuries from accidents among children have become a public health concern and a leading cause of child fatalities in Vietnam. Therefore, preventing children from being injured in accidents is an urgent task to protect children’s health and reduce the heavy burden of disability for families and society.

Many children have drowned while going on holiday this summer. Most recently, a group of six pupils in Ky Tien commune, Ky Anh district, of Nghe An province were drowned at sea on May 29 because they could not swim.

The same day, two pupils in Phuoc An commune, Nhon Trach district of Dong Nai province also died from drowning.

According to doctor Le Viet Phai, head of the rehabilitation department of the orthopedic and rehabilitation hospital, accidental injuries to children leave serious consequences both physically and spiritually. Many children injured in accidents suffer severe deformities and find it hard to reintegrate into the community, becoming a heavy burden for their families and society.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), there has been an increasing number of accidents involving children. In 2007 alone, more than 7,890 Vietnamese children under 19 were killed in accidents. The main causes of death were drowning, traffic accidents, burns, choking and animal bites, with drowning being most common, especially during the monsoon and flood season.

Injuries from accidents are more likely to occur in rural areas than in urban areas and poverty is also a contributory factor.

According to Tran Van Dien, Deputy Head of the Child Care and Protection Office in Dong Thap province, one of the reasons for the growing number of child injuries from accidents is due to the lack of timely information and proper measures to prevent accidents among children.

In addition, local funds for such communications are limited and local authorities do not give a full report on accidents. There is also a shortage of collaborators as each commune currently has only one person to monitor the situation.

Nguyen Trong An, Deputy Director of the Child Care and Protection Department, under the MOLISA, said it’s necessary to have closer coordination between governmental agencies, organisations, families and schools in educating, training and increasing people’s awareness of child protection.

It’s important to change the attitude of local authorities towards accidental injuries among children. Mr. An emphasised that the department is developing an action plan for children in the next ten years (2011-2020) with a view to reducing child injuries, which is closely associated with other targets for socio-economic development.

Accidental Injuries are not only the leading cause of death among children but they also lead to numerous disabilities and long-term psychological wounds. Preventing child injuries from accidents is both the responsibility of and a token of affection from families and society for the future of the country so that children can live, study and play in safe houses, schools and communities.