A meeting of the Coordination Council for the Implementation of Decree No. 18 was held at the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee

The issue of child injuries has been recognized as extremely relevant in recent years by the Republic of Belarus, as well as by the international community. The prevention of child injuries is interpreted as society's obligation to protect children's rights to life and health in accordance with the requirements of the 1990 International Convention on the Rights of the Child.   

In the Vitebsk region, from 2013 to 2015, 82 children died from external causes, the absolute majority of them - 56 are young children under 14 years of age (68%).

As a result of drowning in natural and artificial bodies of water, 21 minors died, suicides – 15, road traffic accidents – 12, fires – 7, falls from high-rise residential buildings – 7, violent criminal acts – 7, aspiration of foreign objects – 6, collapse of soil in quarries – 4. In isolated cases, children died from alcohol poisoning and carbon monoxide poisoning. 

The number of fatally injured minors is consistently high - in 2013, 30 teenagers died, in 2014 – 29 children, and in the elapsed period of 2015 – 23 children.

Child injuries of a domestic, school, and sports nature are common, due to falls, poisonings, violent acts, and road accidents.

In this regard, recently in Vitebsk

A meeting of the Coordination Council for the Implementation of Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of 24.11.2006 No. 18 was held at the regional executive committee.

The representation of services was unprecedented – heads of the Department of Internal Affairs, State Automobile Inspectorate, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Commission for Juvenile Affairs of the regional executive committee, departments of education, healthcare, the water rescue society, heads of city and district executive committees, district and city commissions for juvenile affairs.  

The effectiveness of the implementation of the regional plan of measures to prevent emergencies involving children by local services was analyzed.

Also, a representative of the regional prosecutor's office reported on the results of prosecutorial inspections on the enforcement of legislation on preventing child mortality and injuries, which indicate identified facts of departmental fragmentation, inadequate coordination of subordinate institutions, and improper planning of preventive work by services. Prosecutors have issued 24 supervision acts, 3 information memos have been sent to authorities, and the regional prosecutor's office has also prepared a relevant information memo for the regional executive committee.

In addition, problematic issues of preventing juvenile delinquency were discussed, especially measures to counter the involvement of children by adults in group crime.

The meeting was held quite productively. Based on the results, the Coordination Council of the regional executive committee, the Commission for Juvenile Affairs

A number of specific measures have been taken by the regional executive committee together with the regional prosecutor's office to improve the situation on the indicated issues. The joint decision is, in a way, a regional-level program event for the next year, aimed at preventing injuries and juvenile delinquency.   

Anton Volkov, Senior Assistant to the Regional Prosecutor.