Preventing child injury accidents in Vietnam

Injury accidents among children have become a public health concern and are a leading cause of child fatalities in Vietnam.

This problem was discussed at a meeting co-organised by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Hanoi on April 15.

A report announced at the meeting said that in 2007 alone, more than 7,890 Vietnamese children under the age of 19 were killed in injury accidents, half of them by drowning. Boys are at higher risk of injury accidents than girls. Injury accidents are more likely to occur in rural areas than in urban areas. Poverty was also a contributory factor to injury accidents.

According to Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affair Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Vietnam has made remarkable progress in preventing injury accidents among children since the Prime Minister approved a national policy on this issue for the 2001-2010 period.

Jean Dupraz, Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Vietnam, said that to effectively prevent child injury accidents, it is essential to build a comprehensive action plan and increase public awareness of children protection and health care.