Da Nang Reviews Child-Related Indicators To Inform The 2026-2030 Socio-Economic Development Plan
Da Nang, 26 December 2025 – The Da Nang Department of Health, in collaboration with UNICEF Viet Nam, successfully organized a Workshop on Reviewing and Advocating for Policy Integration into Da Nang’s Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP), with a focus on child-related indicators, gender responsiveness, and resilience to climate change and natural disasters. The workshop was a key activity 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 event brought together over 30 participants, representing the City People’s Committee Office, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee of Da Nang, the Culture and Social Affairs Committee of the City People’s Council, key line departments, mass organizations, and development partners, including Ecorys and Live & Learn
In her opening remarks, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh An, Policy and Governance Specialist, UNICEF Viet Nam, emphasized that 2025 marks a critical turning point as Da Nang, following the administrative merger, has become a city of nearly three million people. This transformation presents new opportunities while also placing greater demands on development planning. Reviewing the 2021–2025 SEDP with a focus on children, gender equality, and resilience will help the city reposition its development pathway for 2026–2030, balancing economic efficiency, social equity, and environmental sustainability.
At the workshop, Ms. Mai Thi Thanh Hoa, representing the Da Nang Institute for Socio-Economic Development Research (DISED), presented key findings from the SEDP Review Report. The review shows that among the 75 development indicators for the 2021–2025 period in Da Nang and Quang Nam, 28 indicators relate to children, gender equality, and the environment, accounting for over 37 percent of the total. In Da Nang alone, seven indicators were drawn from the Child Action Programme, and 20 indicators from the Sustainable Development Plan. However, the report also identified significant gaps, particularly in child health, children’s participation, gender equality, and climate change adaptation, with many indicators lacking clear quantification or failing to fully reflect the specific protection needs of children.
Based on these findings, the research team proposed adjusting and strengthening the indicator framework for the 2026–2030 SEDP by adopting a child-centered approach, shifting from universal coverage to a stronger emphasis on quality, protection, and resilience. The recommendations also highlight the need to standardize and quantify indicators, disaggregate data by gender, age, and vulnerability, and link indicators to resources, accountability mechanisms, and inter-sectoral coordination.
UNICEF’s presentation at the workshop reaffirmed that investing in children is a strategic investment for realizing Viet Nam’s development vision to 2045. Evidence shows that early and comprehensive investment in children—particularly in early childhood education, nutrition, health, child protection, and social protection—yields long-term and sustainable socio-economic returns, while reducing inequalities and strengthening resilience to future shocks.
Sharing perspectives at the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Long, Chairperson of the Association for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities, Orphans, and Poor Patients, stressed the importance of clearly defining the purpose and target groups of the research so that recommendations and indicators are closely aligned with the new context of Da Nang, thereby enhancing the practical value of the SEDP planning process.
Ms. Le Thi Bich Hanh, In-country Manager of HCA in Viet Nam, proposed stratifying child-related indicators by age group, geographic area, and level of priority, with reference to national indicators, and adding indicators on children’s and adolescents’ participation to ensure their voices are meaningfully reflected in the city’s development planning.
Representing Live & Learn, Ms. Do Van Nguyet highlighted the importance of scaling up child-led initiatives such as safe play spaces, green schools, anti-littering campaigns, and disaster risk mapping, thereby expanding opportunities for children and adolescents to participate in local policies and development programmes.
Overall, the reports and discussions at the workshop provided a comprehensive, evidence-based picture of how child-related, gender-responsive, and resilience indicators were integrated during the 2021–2025 period, and serve as a critical foundation for the development of Da Nang’s 2026–2030 Socio-Economic Development Plan. The analyses and recommendations will support the city in setting the right priorities and allocating resources effectively, ensuring that children and adolescents are placed at the centre of development, and advancing a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient Da Nang in the long term.
