March 18, 2026
On March 11, 2026, the Government of Vietnam formally marked the transition of the country's child drowning prevention program, implemented through a partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies supported by the Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) and the World Health Organization (WHO), to full government ownership. The Transition Ceremony and Technical Workshop took place in Hanoi and was attended by leaders from the Ministry of Health, nine additional government ministries with a role in child drowning prevention, provincial authorities, international partners, academic institutions and the children whose lives this program has transformed.
In his opening remarks, Vice Minister Nguyễn Trí Thức affirmed the collective nature of this commitment: "Child drowning prevention is not the sole responsibility of the health sector but a collective duty of the entire society to ensure the right to life and the right to safe development for every Vietnamese child." In his closing address, he underscored the milestone the day represented: "The robust mobilization of local resources, coupled with the partnership of international organizations, has enabled Vietnam to successfully transition from a project-based model to a sustainable national program — a vital foundation for significantly reducing child drowning fatalities in the coming period."
The results that underpin this transition are substantial. Since 2018, a partnership between the Government of Vietnam and Bloomberg Philanthropies — with sustained technical and advocacy support from GHAI — has achieved a 16% reduction in child drowning deaths in intervention areas, raised survival swimming competency rates from 14.7% to 46.4%, and provided life-saving instruction to more than 400,000 children across 17 provinces. Over 1,500 certified swim instructors have been trained, and local authorities have contributed approximately $7.1 million USD in counterpart funding. These achievements are codified in the National Program on Strengthening Child Drowning Prevention in the Educational System (2025–2035), which integrates survival swimming into the national school curriculum for all children, regardless of geography or socioeconomic status.
Kelly Larson of Bloomberg Philanthropies affirmed the significance of this milestone: "Vietnam has become a global leader in drowning prevention and is well-positioned to build on this momentum and continue expanding this best-in-class program to save even more lives." Dr. Angela Pratt, WHO Representative in Vietnam, noted that drowning prevention is now "being embedded across health, education and sports systems — creating a comprehensive and sustainable safety net for children that can be shared with other countries."
The ceremony was followed by a Technical Workshop of approximately 50 experts and practitioners to outline the requirements for long-term program sustainability. It addressed four critical dimensions: best practices in drowning prevention, Vietnam's sustainability scorecard and assessment tool, the economic case for survival swimming and community-driven communication strategies. Panel discussions explored grassroots innovations from the Youth Union and provincial health authorities, underscoring the breadth of institutional engagement behind the national program. The economic evidence presented was particularly compelling. Yolonda Richardson, President and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and its Global Health Advocacy Incubator, noted, "Every dollar we spend on swim training yields $20 in benefits — for just $30, we can give a child the skills to survive. This isn't just about avoiding the economic weight of a tragedy; it’s about making sure no parent has to endure the heartbreak of losing a child to the water."
GHAI is honored to have supported Vietnam throughout this process by advancing evidence-based preventive measures and strengthening the institutional capacity that underpins this historic transition. Vietnam's achievement stands as a model of what sustained government commitment, rigorous evidence and effective multi-sectoral partnership can accomplish — and as an enduring source of inspiration for low and middle-income countries facing similar challenges worldwide.
For more information about this program, including program components, GHAI’s strategic approach, results and lessons learned, view our new case study.
