Police officers teach children how to resuscitate a drowning person in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. (LIU SHUTING/FOR CHINA DAILY)
About 50 million children in China are injured in accidents every year, and about 71,000 die, according to a report published in December by the National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention and Safe Kids Worldwide.
Last month, accidents claimed the lives of 40 children and adolescents across the country, according to media reports.
"Accidents are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents under 14 in China. We believe that most accidents are avoidable if kids are equipped with sufficient knowledge and take precautions," Zheng said.
She added that it is essential that the relevant information is provided by experts, such as clinicians, and the classes are offered directly to children rather than adults.
"There are always situations in which parents cannot keep an eye on their children, so kids have to be aware of risks and stay away from them," she said.
On July 11, Huang Ke, a second-grader at a primary school in Shanghai's Minhang district, attended a 60-minute lecture about accident prevention in the home－especially in kitchens, bathrooms and on balconies.
Later, she said it was the first time she been made aware that she should never plug in appliances when her hands are wet because of the possibility of sustaining an electric shock.
