>> UNICEF underlines challenges to Vietnamese adolescents

Vietnam has adopted a new child protection programme through the year 2015, with a price tag of VND1.755 trillion (USD84 million).

Children need more care

Part of the cost, VND913.5 billion (USD43.8 million), will come from the state’s budget. VND742 billion (USD35.6 million) will come from the provincial and municipal levels, while the rest, VND70 billion (USD3.35 million), will come from international organisations.

This will be a nationwide programme, focusing on areas with the highest number of at-risk children.

Already approved by the prime minister, the programme’s aims are to reduce the number of “disadvantaged” children to less than 5.5%, to offer support to 80% of these children and to provide services to help them integrate into society. Another goal is to give early intervention to 70% of children deemed to be at-risk. It is hoped that by 2015, half of all provinces and cities nationwide will have implemented.

The national programme for child protection will focus on communication, education and social mobilisation to protect children; strengthening the capacity and cooperation of organisations and their staff already working in the field. It will also work to build a comprehensive system for child protection from community-based models on care and support for disadvantaged children.

Lotta Sylwander, Representative of United Nations Children\'s Fund (UNICEF) in Vietnam, said that the organisation hails the Government’s efforts to improve child protection activities, noting that UNICEF will support the country’s activities concerning this matter.