Vietnam launches national child protection program for 2026-30

The program sets a target of reducing cases of violence and sexual abuse against children by at least five percent annually through 2030, the health ministry said at a launch ceremony in Hanoi on Friday.

It also aims to bring the proportion of children aged 5-17 engaged in child labor below 1.1 percent by 2030, compared with 1.31 percent recorded recently.

The program additionally aims to strengthen data management and connectivity to identify and support children at risk in a timely manner.

Under the program, 100 percent of children eligible for protection and those at risk will be managed through a child database system linked with relevant databases.

The data system and stronger coordination among agencies are expected to help shift child protection from responding after incidents occur to proactive prevention, early detection and timely intervention.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Deputy Heath Minister Le Duc Luan said child protection efforts had achieved significant results in recent years.

The proportion of children engaged in unlawful labor has fallen from 5.4 percent to 1.31 percent, while all children subjected to abuse have received appropriate support and intervention measures, Luan said.

The child protection service system has been organized at three levels: prevention, support and intervention, he said.

The national child protection hotline 111 continues to receive information, provide counseling and coordinate the handling of cases involving children's rights, according to the ministry.

Vietnam has also officially launched a national hotline for preventing and combating domestic violence at 117.

However, Luan said child protection still faces numerous challenges.

Violence against children has been increasing globally amid economic downturns, inflation and shocks caused by natural disasters and social problems, he said, adding that these factors put vulnerable children at greater risk of dropping out of school and entering the workforce prematurely.

Child labor remains present in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, as well as in households and small-scale production and business establishments, where inspection and supervision are difficult, Luan said.

Meanwhile, child protection service networks remain thin in some localities, while coordination, information sharing and referrals among services are not yet consistent, he added.

Children also face online risks

Risks to children are also increasingly extending from everyday life to the online environment, Luan said.

Similarly, Michaela Bauer, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Vietnam, said Vietnamese children continue to face risks including violence, exploitation and sexual abuse, including abuse and exploitation online, as well as the risk of being forced to perform heavy or hazardous work.

Bauer said strengthening laws and policies alone would not be enough to address these challenges.

Vietnam needs a strong and integrated child protection system backed by adequate financial resources, with capable social workers, reliable data, effective coordination mechanisms and accessible child protection services in every community, she said.

International evidence shows that children are best protected when prevention and response efforts are implemented as a unified system extending from the national level to families, schools and communities, said Bauer.

According to UNICEF’s report entitled 'Through Children's Eyes: How Digital Technologies Enable Child Sexual Abuse,' issued on September 3, about 20 million children aged 12-17 in 21 countries, including Vietnam, experienced at least one form of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation or abuse within a year.