HO CHI MINH City, Vietnam - January 16, 2018

Helmets for Families is expanding its road safety education efforts to include engagement with health professionals for teachers, parents, and students. The program, which is supported by the global healthcare company Abbott and implemented by AIP Foundation, National Traffic Safety Committee, Ministry of Education and Training, Ho Chi Minh City Traffic Safety Committee, and the Department of Education and Training, celebrated its fifth year with a helmet handover ceremony for students and teachers at Tan Thanh Dong Primary School in Ho Chi Minh City. At the ceremony, a doctor from Cho Ray Hospital raised the importance of wearing quality helmets properly for students and teachers.

This year, Helmets for Families is incorporating a new component: to engage school staff, parents, and students on a deeper level, health professionals carry road safety messages based on their experiences working with road crash victims. In commemoration of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims last November, key teachers and parents visited Cho Ray National Hospital to meet with patients who had been involved in road crashes and the health professionals who treated them. Their experiences have been shared to their peers and students throughout the program implementation accordingly.

In total, Helmets for Families will donate over 4,000 helmets to schools in Cu Chi District and Hoc Mon District of Ho Chi Minh City during the 2017-2018 school year.