Executive Summary
Child injuries are an important public health issue worldwide. The unprecedented economic and social development in Viet Nam over the past two decades has contributed to the emergence of injury as a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in children.

Child Injury in Viet Nam
In 2007 alone, 7,894 children and adolescents aged 0-19 died of injury. Leading causes of child injury-related death in Viet Nam include drowning, road traffic injury, poisoning, falling, burns and animal bites. Major causes of non-fatal childhood injury are falls, traffic accidents, animal bites, injury by sharp objects and burns. Similar to other low- and middle-income countries, risk factors of child injury include age, gender, hazardous environments, low socioeconomic status, which is often associated with a lack of awareness about injury risks and the lack of supervision of children, as well as limited access to safety devices and appropriate healthcare, particularly emergency and pre-hospital care. International evidence shows that all types of injuries in children are preventable. Intervention approaches based on a combination of education and training, legislation and enforcement, environmental modifications and promotion of safer products and safety devices are likely to succeed in reducing the burden of injury in children.

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This guide was written by Valerie Karr, a Ph.D candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University and an expert in the field of child education and disability.

The guide is a companion to the publication It’s About Ability, a child-friendly booklet version of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The development of both materials was initiated at UNICEF under the leadership of the Child Protection Section, with support from the Adolescent Development and Participation Unit. The guide and booklet were edited and produced by UNICEF’s Division of Communication.

UNICEF would like to thank Rosangela Berman Bieler and Sergio Meresman of the Inter-American Institute on Disability and Inclusive Development for peer-reviewing the guide.  We also express  appreciation to the many other people who commented on successive drafts:  Helen Schulte (UNICEF), Ravi Karkara (UNICEF), Shaila Parveen Luna (UNICEF), Lena Karlsson (UNICEF Innocenti Research Center), Cristina Gallegos (UNICEF) , Jaclyn Tierney (UNICEF) and Carolina Hepp (UNICEF).

This Situation Analysis was produced over a two-year period by UNICEF in close collaboration with the Government of Viet Nam. It was initiated in the context of the 2008 Mid-Term Review of the Programme of Cooperation between the Government of Viet Nam and UNICEF.

UNICEF would like to sincerely thank the Government of Viet Nam for their collaboration in the development of this Analysis, particularly the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), Office of Government, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Justice, General Statistics Office, and the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children.

The contributions and inputs from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), as the State Managing Agent for children, are particularly acknowledged. The initial research, writing and analysis was done by a team consisting of Dr. Rebeca Rios Kohn (team leader), Ms. Vu Xuan Nguyet Hong, and Mr. Nguyen Tam Giang. The document went through extensive consultation and review from a wide range of organisations, including United Nations agencies, international and national “non-governemntal” Oganisations, and academic institutions and researchers. Three consultation workshops were held in 2008, with strong participation from relevant partners. A field trip was undertaken to Dong Thap province in 2008, where the research team was provided with provincial authorities’ insights on the situation of children specifically in that province.

UNICEF Viet Nam staff revised and updated the draft document, bringing it to its final form.

UNICEF would like to sincerely thank all those who contributed to this publication.

Viet Nam has made great strides in improving access and retention to quality education for both boys and girls at the primary and secondary levels.  Nevertheless, educational access and participation are lagging among Viet Nam’s ethnic populations, and particularly for girls.  This study provides important insights into the barriers to girls’ education among four ethnic groups in Viet Nam and possible solutions for overcoming them. In the study, local stakeholders were asked to identify barriers and solutions. Recommendations for short and medium/long term strategies also are given, grounded in international experience and research.

The four ethnic groups included in this study are the H’mong, J’rai, Bahnar, and Khmer.  The study was conducted in three regions:  the North (Bac Ha District, Lao Cai province); the Central Highlands (Mang Yang and Chu Pah districts, Gia Lai province); and the South (Cau Ngang, Tra Vinh province).   The research was based on a mixed-methods approach that integrated Participatory Research and Action (PRA) with qualitative methods such as interviews, focus groups, and observation. Quantitative data and analysis also were used.

The findings show the existence of multiple barriers in the transition from primary to lower secondary school level for girls in all four ethnic groups. Of particular importance, however, is the finding that barriers are manifested and experienced differently within the four ethnic groups. The findings also show that barriers tend to be interlinked in complex, non-linear ways. Contextually targeted education interventions at different scales may therefore have cascading effects and multiply positive outcomes.

 Click here to download the Vietnamese version of the report

The State of the World’s Children 2008 assesses the state of child survival and primary health care for mothers, newborns and children today. These issues serve as sensitive barometers of a country’s development and wellbeing and as evidence of its priorities and values. Investing in the health of children and their mothers is a human rights imperative and one of the surest ways for a country to set its course towards a better future.