In Vietnam over 2,000 children drown every year – more than any other country in South East Asia. The drowning rate in Thanh Hoa is higher than many provinces in Vietnam. The latest statistics available from the Ministry of Health indicate that 150 children drowned in the province in 2013.
Topas is working in partnership with Hue Help to deliver swimming teacher training for 10 teachers, who will then go on to train 200 children to swim, as well as teaching them water safety awareness and safe rescue skills. In addition, water safety education will be provided for approximately 4,000 children in Ba Thuoc and Quan Hoa districts. The activities will be implemented from August to November 2019.
Hue Help has been running its Swimming for Safety programme in Vietnam since 2011, so far training over 400 teachers and 11,000 children. The World Health Organisations recommends teaching school aged children to swim and learn water safety as part of a strategy to reduce child drowning.
