Da Nang Strengthens Models Promoting Meaningful Participation Of Children And Adolescents In The Final Year Of The CFCI/HCA-II Project

Da Nang, 25 December 2025, The Da Nang Department of Health (DoH), in coordination with UNICEF Viet Nam, successfully organized a workshop to share 2025 implementation results and develop the 2026 work plan 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 30 participants from key city departments and agencies, including the Department of Health, Department of Education and Training, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Da Nang Youth Union, the Viet Nam–UK Institute for Research and Executive Education (VNUK), along with representatives from Ecorys and UNICEF Viet Nam experts.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Doan Thi Hoai Nhi, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Health, noted that following the administrative merger, Da Nang now has a population of over 2.8 million people, including nearly 700,000 children and more than 16,000 children in special circumstances. She emphasized the importance of ensuring equitable access to essential social services, safe and healthy living environments, and meaningful opportunities for children’s voices, needs, and priorities to be heard. She stressed that the workshop aimed to review the concrete results achieved in 2025, analyze challenges and lessons learned during project implementation in the post-merger context, and propose solutions to address bottlenecks and accelerate progress in the coming period.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh An, Social Policy and Governance Specialist at UNICEF Viet Nam, highlighted the encouraging achievements of the CFCI/HCA-II project in 2025, despite significant administrative reforms and boundary mergers in Da Nang. Thanks to flexible coordination and the collective efforts of partners, the project recorded several notable results, including:

• Promoting adolescent participation: More than 700 children and adolescents engaged through platforms such as Children’s Councils and STEM summer camps, contributing ideas toward a healthier and more inclusive city.
• Expanding health and nutrition initiatives: Over 11,000 students received training on menstrual hygiene management and healthy nutrition; school-based nutrition counselling activities helped hundreds of children improve their health status.
• Strengthening child protection systems: More than 1,300 parents enhanced their parenting skills; nearly 100 vulnerable children received case management support and appropriate interventions.
• Enhancing learning and experience sharing: Implementation experiences from Da Nang were disseminated through both in-person and online forums, contributing to national and global dialogues on child-friendly urban development.

Representatives from the Da Nang Department of Health, Da Nang CDC, the Da Nang Youth Union, and VNUK shared key 2025 achievements and agreed on several priority recommendations, including:

• Strengthening support for implementing child-related socio-economic indicators and integrating child, gender equality, and resilience considerations into post-merger development plans.
• Enhancing technical capacity for focal staff from participating agencies to better respond to children’s needs in an expanded geographic context.
• Continuing and scaling up effective models such as Children’s Councils, school-based psychological counselling rooms, mental health care, prevention of child abuse and violence, green libraries, “Leaders of Change” clubs, STEM education, and creative peer-to-peer communication—prioritizing disadvantaged areas and newly merged localities.
• Expanding scale, geographic coverage, and beneficiary groups, with a strong focus on vulnerable children to ensure that no child is left behind.
• Improving quality and sustainability through increased expert resources and deeper, more practical programming on AI, digital skills, climate change, and mental health.
• Ensuring consistent quality and strengthening regional linkages to narrow gaps in access to information and services, contributing to shared mindsets and integration skills for adolescents across the expanded Da Nang area.

2026 marks the final year of the CFCI/HCA-II Project, playing a pivotal role in the roadmap toward Da Nang’s recognition as a Child-Friendly City. Key priorities include institutionalizing effective models such as Children’s Councils, expanding adolescent participation platforms, and integrating child-friendly and climate-responsive indicators into the city’s Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2026–2030.

The workshop provided an important opportunity for stakeholders to reflect on progress made, engage in open discussions on achievements and areas for improvement, and agree on solutions to ensure sustainability and long-term impact for children and adolescents in Da Nang in the years ahead.