Reports at the seminar showed that in 2005-2006, the number of children dying from drowning accounted for more than 51 percent, from traffic accidents (23 percent), not to mention many others from poisoning, burning, electric shocks and explosions.

The MoLISA also reported that there were nearly 76,000 accidental injuries among children in 2008, mainly in the Red River Delta, south-east and Mekong Delta regions.

Participants in the seminar said that accidental injuries among children constitute a social issue, seriously affecting their growth and requiring strong determination from relevant ministries and organisations to get to the root of the problem.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Dam Huu Dac said that in recent years the State, the Party and provincial authorities have developed action programmes to prevent accidental injuries among children. In 2001, the Prime Minister approved a national policy on prevention of accidental injuries among children for the 2002-2010 period. Over the past eight years of implementing the policy, 43 provinces and cities have established their steering boards and over 50 departments of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs have developed action plans to prevent accidental injuries among children.