HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam is expanding its largest survival swimming and water safety programme nationwide after a pilot initiative helped reduce child drowning deaths by 16 per cent in intervention areas and provided life-saving skills to more than 400,000 children.

The programme, implemented through a partnership between the Vietnamese Government and Bloomberg Philanthropies, is being scaled up as part of broader efforts to tackle one of the country’s most pressing public health challenges.

According to the Ministry of Health, drowning claims the lives of nearly 1,800 Vietnamese children each year, making it the leading cause of injury-related deaths among children aged six to 15. The economic burden is estimated at around US$617 million annually, including healthcare costs and long-term social impacts.

Officials say the results achieved since the programme’s launch in 2018 demonstrate that prevention measures such as survival swimming and water safety education can significantly reduce risks.

Speaking about the initiative, Vice Minister of Health Nguyễn Trí Thức emphasised that preventing child drowning requires coordinated efforts across multiple sectors.

“Child drowning prevention is not the sole responsibility of the health sector but a collective duty of the entire society,” he said.

“Evidence-based interventions, particularly survival swimming and water safety skills, have produced clear results and should be maintained and expanded sustainably.”

The Ministry of Health is working with ministries, local authorities and international partners to integrate swimming and water safety training into regular school and community activities nationwide.

The initiative has been implemented with support from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids through its Global Health Advocacy Incubator and the World Health Organisation.

Initially launched in eight provinces with high drowning rates, the programme has gradually expanded to 17 provinces across the country.

Over the past seven years, more than 1,500 certified swimming instructors and 2,250 government officers and community members have been trained in water safety skills. Portable swimming pools have also been installed in low-resource areas to ensure that children without access to permanent facilities can learn basic survival techniques.

In addition, more than 80 local swimming pools have been mobilised to support training activities, while provincial authorities have contributed approximately US$7.1 million in funding for swimming lessons and the construction of new facilities.

The results have been significant. In programme areas, the proportion of children with survival swimming skills has increased from 14.7 per cent to 46.4 per cent - more than double the national average of 19.2 per cent.

Officials say strong government commitment has helped transform the initiative from a donor-funded project into a sustainable national programme.

Survival swimming has been included as a key component of the Prime Minister’s Action Plan on Child Injury Prevention for 2021–2030. In addition, the Government has approved a National Programme on Strengthening Child Drowning Prevention in the Educational System for the period 2025–2035, which integrates water safety and swimming instruction into school curricula.

Kelly Larson, who leads injury prevention programmes at Bloomberg Philanthropies, said Việt Nam’s progress demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated prevention strategies.

“Through the Ministry of Health, local authorities and community organisations, survival swim instruction has reached more than 400,000 children since 2018,” she said.

“Việt Nam is well positioned to continue expanding this programme and save even more young lives.”

Globally, an estimated 300,000 people die from drowning each year, with more than 90 per cent of those deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

According to Dr Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Việt Nam, the country’s approach offers valuable lessons for other nations facing similar challenges.

“There is strong evidence worldwide about what works to prevent drowning,” she said.

“Việt Nam has successfully adapted these approaches through strong collaboration between central and local governments, international partners and communities.”

Experts say that with sustained investment, expanded training and continued public awareness campaigns, the programme could significantly reduce drowning deaths among Vietnamese children in the coming years.

With strong government leadership and growing community participation, officials believe Việt Nam is steadily moving towards a safer future for its children around water. — VNS