Launching a campaign for the whole population to practice swimming and prevent drowning in 2024

On May 26, in Thanh Hoa, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism held the Summer Opening Ceremony, Children's Olympic Day and the Launch of the National Swimming and Drowning Prevention Campaign in 2024. The program attracted the participation of 7,500 children and officials, instructors and athletes from Thanh Hoa province and more than 30 other provinces and cities.

Athletes participating in the drowning rescue swimming demonstration at the launching ceremony. Photo: Nguyen Nam/VNA

This is a national-level event held annually in many provinces and cities across the country to raise awareness of self-protection, equipping children with necessary knowledge and skills such as first aid, swimming and diving skills, and drowning prevention, thereby helping children to be more physically and mentally resilient. This year's launching ceremony is combined with attractive activities such as the "Healthy Children's Day" gymnastics performance, various sports games, competitions, and tournaments for children to experience.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong emphasized that physicaleducation and sports activities for children and adolescents play an extremely important role and significance in building and developing human factors. In the period of 2021 - 2023, the sports movement in schools, cultural houses, children's houses, and residential areas has developed more and more vigorously, diversely, and richly, attracting a large number of children to participate in dozens of sports. Thereby, it has helped children form the habit of actively practicing every day to perfect their motor skills, improve their health, stature, and physical strength, build a safe, healthy lifestyle, and develop comprehensively.

In addition to the achievements, there are still many disadvantaged children in the country, whose rights to play, recreation, and physical exercise are not guaranteed, and the number of children dying from drowning accidents is still high. The reason is that many units, schools, and communes still lack facilities, sports grounds, and playgrounds for children, especially in remote areas. The attention of local authorities and family members to children's rights to play and recreation is not adequate...

Through the launching ceremony, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism requested that Party committees at all levels, authorities, ministries, branches, unions, social organizations, families and schools continue to pay attention to developing the sports movement for children and adolescents. The Ministry called on businesses, organizations and individuals to join hands to contribute human and material resources to invest in facilities, equipment, sports equipment and swimming pools so that the whole population in general and children in particular have the conditions to practice sports, improve health, prevent and fight diseases, and reduce drowning accidents.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hopes that every citizen, grandparents, parents, teachers, students, teenagers and children not only actively practice sports but also be active propagandists to encourage their families, relatives and friends to practice and equip themselves with knowledge and swimming skills to prevent drowning.

Ms. Le Bui Thi Mai Uyen, Director of MILO and Milk, Nestlé Vietnam, shared that after many years of accompanying the program, the unit has recorded significant changes when more and more children are equipped with skills to prevent drowning and develop swimming talent. In the coming time, the unit will continue to join hands with agencies, departments, branches and parents to build a more resilient generation of young Vietnamese people, in parallel with creating conditions for children to improve swimming skills and explore their potential when practicing sports at an early age.

Nguyen Doan Nhat Tien, a student of class 3A2, Ba Dinh Primary School, Thanh Hoa city, said that we are very happy and excited to participate in many exciting activities such as: shuffledance performance, sports folk dance, knowledge and skills competition to prevent drowning, friendly sports competitions, and physical and mental games.

In recent years, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has coordinated and guided 63/63 provinces and cities to implement the Joint Program on developing sports movements for children, adolescents and students. In the period of 2021 - 2023, the sports movements in schools, cultural houses, children's houses and residential areas have been focused on with many exciting and diverse activities.

Towards International Children's Day June 1st, Action Month for Children, every year, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinates with departments and organizations to organize the Summer Opening Ceremony, Children's Olympic Day and Launch the National Swim Training Campaign to prevent drowning. As a result, the rate of children who know how to swim, have knowledge and skills to prevent drowning has increased from less than 30% in 2016 to nearly 40% in 2022. The drowning death rate of 3,000 children in 2015 has decreased to less than 2,000 children in 2023.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/phat-dong-toan-dan-tap-luyen-mon-boi-phong-chong-duoi-nuoc-nam-2024-post384576.html