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| At the launching ceremony, students were instructed on how to wear life jackets properly |
According to the World Health Organization, drowning is a “silent disaster” that claims over 300,000 lives each year worldwide. 90% of these fatalities occur in low and middle-income countries.
In Vietnam, approximately 2,000 people die from drowning annually, which averages out to five deaths per day. Although the number of drowning cases has decreased over the past decade, it remains a significant challenge, requiring efforts from central to local authorities, as well as the cooperation of the entire society. In particular, drowning is a preventable accident if appropriate interventions are implemented, such as teaching swimming skills, training water safety skills, and installing barriers in dangerous areas.
Numerous studies show that when children are equipped with swimming skills, the risk of drowning fatalities can be reduced by up to 98%.
In Hue City, since 2011, Hue Help organization has collaborated with local departments and sectors to implement safe swimming programs, and has so far trained about 200,000 children. In 2025 alone, an additional 2,000 children are expected to participate in this program.
Speaking at the launching ceremony Vice Chairman Hoang Hai Minh stated that to achieve higher effectiveness in drowning prevention, local authorities should continue to strengthen communication efforts, raise awareness, and equip the community with water safety knowledge and skills, especially for children, teenagers, and visitors participating in activities at beaches, rivers, and streams.
The Department of Culture and Sports and the Department of Tourism should continue to direct and encourage tourist destinations, businesses, and households operating coastal and eco-tourism services to regularly train all their staff in safety skills. They should also focus on investing in equipment, vehicles, and rescue and first-aid tools to ensure absolute safety for residents and visitors enjoying water activities.
At the launching ceremony, the organizing committee presented 2,000 life jackets to beach management boards, students, and residents in the locality. The Hue Help organization also conducted a session instructing participating students on how to properly wear life jackets and basic drowning rescue skills.