From impressive achievements to long-term aspirations: Vietnam's steadfast investment in child development
WVR - According to UNICEF Representative in Vietnam, Silvia Danailov, Vietnam has maintained impressive educational outcomes, achieving universal primary education, expanding preschool education, and maintaining high learning quality in the region.
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| UNICEF Representative in Vietnam, Silvia Danailov, affirms Vietnam's steadfast investment in child development. (Source: UNICEF) |
Humane social policies transforming children's lives
The UNICEF Representative stated that, through the lens of children's lives, UNICEF recognizes the remarkable progress Vietnam has made in social policies over the decades.
In 50 years of cooperation with the Vietnamese Government, UNICEF has witnessed sustainable political commitments and a people-centered social policy system gradually transforming the lives of its citizens.
Placing children and human development at the core of national priorities has enabled more Vietnamese children to receive better care, grow healthier, access more education, receive better protection, and have more opportunities to maximize their potential.
Vietnam's social policies have contributed to building a more comprehensive and equitable system in health, education, social protection, child protection, and water and sanitation sectors.
Expanding access to essential services, along with strengthening legal and institutional frameworks, has led to significant improvements in human development outcomes, especially for children from ethnic minority communities, remote areas, and vulnerable households.
From UNICEF's perspective, Vietnam's progress reflects a strong national vision, consistently placing children at the center of development through sustainable investment in social services, continuously improving legal and institutional systems to reduce inequality.
According to Silvia Danailov, these social policies are crucial drivers for fostering a more inclusive, resilient society ready for the future. The solid foundation currently in place facilitates Vietnam's realization of long-term development goals, with children always at the heart of the country's future vision.
Vietnam achieves significant progress in child protection and development
The UNICEF Representative noted that in recent years, UNICEF has observed significant and stable improvements in child welfare and social development in Vietnam.
One of the most notable achievements is in child survival and development. The mortality rates for children under five and infants continue to decline; regular immunization rates have strongly recovered post-pandemic; and the expansion of maternal health, nutrition, and early childhood development programs is helping more children, especially in challenging areas, have a healthier start in life.
In education, Vietnam continues to maintain impressive results, achieving universal primary education, expanding preschool education, and maintaining high learning quality in the region. Inclusive education policies and efforts to reduce financial barriers have enabled many ethnic minority and disadvantaged children to continue schooling and achieve better academic results.
Additionally, living conditions and child protection efforts have seen positive changes. Expanding access to clean water and sanitation has improved children's health and safety. The child protection system is becoming more comprehensive, including community-based services and the National Child Protection Hotline, enhancing the effectiveness of prevention and response to violence, abuse, and exploitation. UNICEF also notes the increasing space for children and adolescents to participate in community life and policy discussions.
From UNICEF's perspective, the most impactful reforms for vulnerable populations include expanding social assistance for poor and ethnic minority families; enhancing inclusive education; implementing nutrition and early childhood development programs in challenging areas; strengthening child protection systems; and investing in basic services. These reforms are helping to close gaps and ensure that development achievements increasingly reach the children most in need of support.
In education, Silvia Danailov assesses that Vietnam has made strong and sustainable progress in promoting equity and lifelong learning through education policies, with clear commitments reflected in policy priorities and public investment.
Vietnam continues to allocate significant resources to education, accounting for about 20% of the national budget, and has built a lifelong learning support system, from preschool to secondary education, vocational training, and technical education, as well as continuing education. This long-term vision has contributed to nearly universal primary education, expanded preschool education, and maintained high learning outcomes in the region.
Overall, UNICEF recognizes and highly values Vietnam's educational vision, strong public investment, and clear commitment to lifelong learning with the solid foundation currently in place.
UNICEF Representative in Vietnam, Silvia Danailov: "UNICEF is collaborating with the Government and partners to promote inclusive, equitable, and quality education from preschool to high school, ensuring no child is left behind due to differences in ethnicity, gender, disability, geographical conditions, or income."
Priorities of the 14th NationalCongress align with global directions
According to UNICEF Representative Silvia Danailov, the priorities outlined at the 14th National Congress of the Party, particularly emphasizing education and human development, closely align with UNICEF's operational directions in Vietnam.
The Congress's focus on improving education quality, developing human resources, and building a skilled, adaptable workforce reflects a shared understanding that people — especially children and adolescents — play a central role in the country's long-term development. This approach aligns perfectly with UNICEF's perspective, which considers learning, skill development, and ensuring children's welfare as the foundation of sustainable and inclusive growth.
UNICEF is supporting these priorities through collaboration with the Government and partners to promote inclusive, equitable, and quality education from preschool to high school, ensuring no child is left behind due to differences in ethnicity, gender, disability, geographical conditions, or income.
UNICEF also places special emphasis on foundational skills, transferable skills, and emerging green and digital skills — essential elements for building a future-ready workforce in the rapidly modernizing economy.
Vietnam's sustainable progress depends on investment in children
From UNICEF's perspective, UNICEF Representative Silvia Danailov believes that to continue improving the quality of life for its people, Vietnam needs to maintain and enhance focused investment in children, with a strong emphasis on equity, prevention, and resilience.
UNICEF particularly emphasizes the importance of early investment in children and families by enhancing maternal health care, nutrition, preschool education, parenting skills, and early detection of developmental needs. These investments yield the highest long-term benefits for human resources, especially for children in disadvantaged and ethnic minority communities.
Additionally, educational reform remains crucial as Vietnam aims to become a high-income nation. UNICEF recommends prioritizing the enhancement of education quality and inclusivity by strengthening teacher capacity, expanding digital skills and future skills, and ensuring children with disabilities, migrant children, and ethnic minority children can access and complete quality education programs.
UNICEF also advocates for strengthening preventive health and nutrition systems, including primary health care, immunization, nutrition, and mental health, to ensure all families, regardless of location, have equitable access to services.
Simultaneously, enhancing a child-sensitive social protection system, expanding cash support, and building flexible response mechanisms to economic and climate shocks will help families mitigate risks and poverty.
Ensuring child safety is essential. Continued investment in child protection systems, promoting positive parenting, building child-friendly justice systems, and enhancing online safety will protect children from violence, abuse, and exploitation.
Finally, UNICEF recommends accelerating access to clean water, sanitation, and climate-adaptive services, while enhancing the meaningful participation of children and adolescents to ensure policies accurately reflect the realities and aspirations of the younger generation.
Overall, the UNICEF Representative affirms that the aforementioned priorities reflect a common principle: Vietnam's sustainable progress depends on investing in children — early, equitably, for the present and the future.
(Source: VGP)
