Da Nang Promotes The Action Programme For Children For The 2026-2030 Period

Da Nang, 26 December 2025 – The Da Nang Department of Health, in coordination with UNICEF Viet Nam, organized a Workshop on Developing the Action Programme for Children of Da Nang City for the 2026–2030 period. This workshop is one of the key activities under the Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) and the Healthy Cities for Adolescents – Phase II (HCA-II) project, funded by the Botnar Foundation and managed by Ecorys.

The workshop brought together nearly 40 participants representing the City People’s Committee Office, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee of Da Nang City, the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the City People’s Council, key departments and agencies, mass organizations, representatives from commune and ward levels, as well as development partners such as Ecorys and Live & Learn.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong, Deputy Head of the Division of Social Protection and Children, emphasized the overarching objectives of developing the Da Nang City Action Programme for Children for the 2026–2030 period, including:

• Ensuring the full realization of children’s rights, promoting children’s holistic development, and meeting the requirements for developing high-quality human resources to support the city’s socio-economic development and international integration;
• Contributing to the achievement of the Government’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, towards creating a safe, healthy, and child-friendly living environment;
• Ensuring that all children enjoy the best interests without discrimination, are able to express their views and be heard, while continuing to promote the implementation of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative in Da Nang.

At the workshop, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong shared that following the administrative merger, the new Da Nang City has nearly 699,000 children under the age of 16, accounting for 22.8% of the population, including more than 16,000 children in special circumstances and nearly 39,000 children at risk of falling into special circumstances. These groups require priority attention in the development of the Action Programme for Children for the 2026–2030 period.

During the 2021–2025 period, Da Nang City and Quang Nam Province (prior to the merger) issued comprehensive policies, programmes, and plans on child-related work, while effectively integrating child-focused content into socio-economic development and social protection programmes. Communication and dissemination of laws on children’s rights were strengthened through various forms, contributing to increased community awareness and the promotion of children’s right to participation.

At the same time, the child protection service system continued to be strengthened, with the Social Work Centers and support hotlines playing a core role. Resources and inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms were enhanced. However, challenges remain, including child violence and abuse, a lack of cultural and recreational facilities for children, and limitations in child data management systems.

For the 2026–2030 period, the Da Nang City Action Programme for Children focuses on ensuring that children can live healthy and safe lives, learn, play, and participate meaningfully. The city aims for 75% of communes/wards to be child-friendly, 95% of children aged 0–8 to access comprehensive early childhood development services, and 100% of children to receive immunization and have access to clean water and sanitation, while reducing child mortality, malnutrition, obesity, and mother-to-child HIV transmission to below 2%.

The programme also targets reductions in the number of children in special circumstances, children subjected to abuse, and child labour; ensures 100% birth registration and support for children affected by disasters and epidemics; achieves 100% primary school completion and over 99% lower-secondary completion; expands school-based psychological support and recreational spaces; and promotes children’s right to participation. In particular, children’s participation will be strongly promoted, with targets that 50% of children aged 7 and above are consulted, 50% of children aged 11 and above participate in participation-promotion models, and 100% of children aged 11 and above are equipped with knowledge and skills on the right to participation.

At the workshop, the research team from the Da Nang Institute for Socio-Economic Development (DISED) presented the rationale for proposed child-related indicators in the Action Programme for Children for the 2026–2030 period, based on the practical requirements of Da Nang City after the merger and its orientation towards sustainable and inclusive development. On this basis, participants discussed and agreed on key tasks and solutions to effectively implement the programme in the coming period.

According to the shared orientation, Da Nang City will strengthen leadership, integrate child-related goals into socio-economic development plans, and further mechanisms and policies to ensure children’s rights, particularly for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. Key solutions include enhancing communication, strengthening child protection capacity, developing integrated systems of health, education, social work, and justice services, improving inter-sectoral coordination, and completing child data systems. The programme also emphasizes social mobilization, resource mobilization, and strengthened monitoring, with the goal of building Da Nang into a Child- and Adolescent-Friendly and Healthy City by 2030.