The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) has been urged to clearly define the difficulties and challenges that may have a direct effect on children before deciding its priorities and the measures it will take to carry out its action plan for children more effectively over the next ten years.
The MoLISA gathered opinions on its 2011-2020 action plan for children at a meeting in Da Nang City on Aug. 17, with representatives from several ministries and sectors, international organisations and all 63 municipal and provincial labour, war invalids and social affairs departments.
Statistics show that currently Vietnam has more than 23.6 million children.
The 2011-2020 action plan for children seeks to reduce the number of new born fatalities from 14 percent to 10 percent and the percentage of children living in extreme circumstances to below 5 percent.
It now targets providing special education for 15 percent of disabled children and care for 83 percent of disadvantaged children.
The participants called on the MoLISA to make clear the role and responsibilities that all concerned agencies will play to carry out its plans to reach these goals.
They proposed to step up information campaigns to raise public awareness and promote a change in behaviour toward children’s rights, as well as the legislation and a social welfare programmes for children, along with publisising their activities to protect and care for children.
They advised the MoLISA to step up international cooperation to acquire a variety of new resources and experiences in the field to implement the plan.
The 2001-2010 children’s action plan has helped to curb the mortality rate of infants under 1 year old to 16 percent, grant 10 million children under six free medical check-ups and reduce the rate of malnourished children to 18.9 percent.
Under the plan, 90 percent of schools and communal health clinics had clean water and sanitary systems, 95 percent of all 5-year olds were admitted into kindergartens, 48 out of 63 cities and provinces provided with primary education and 75 percent of disadvantaged children were cared for.
However there will still remain a number of problems to be addressed, said the participants.
They noted that party committees at various levels, local authorities and communities and families have not yet been made aware of children’s needs.
Many localities, ministries and sectors have yet to fulfill their responsibilities for protecting and caring for children as instructed by the Government.
They also pointed to a lack of procedures and the necessary tools to coordinate central and grassroots agencies, ministries and other sectors to reach the goals laid out for children./.
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