Nghe An Population Work: Turning Difficulties into Action

That also shows that the solutions implemented by the industry are on the right track and impacting the awareness of the people and local authorities.

People have access to many services

Examination and care deliveryreproductive health– The Family Planning in Chi Khe Commune (Con Cuong) was held in unfavorable weather conditions. However, from early morning, many women in the commune came to register for examination and services. Ms. Vi Thi Ha (35 years old) shared: I have a family and have 2 children but I rarely go for medical examination or check-ups. Coming here, having an ultrasound, being consulted and screened, I realized that this must be a regular task and if I am not careful, I will easily be at risk of getting sick.

After many years of providing health and family planning consultation services to the grassroots, Ms. Thai Thi Tuyet - Head of the Population Department, Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning said: For many different reasons, people are still subjective about reproductive health issues, especially in rural, remote and isolated areas. Therefore, with our efforts, we always try to bring the service to each person and help them have the opportunity to have a comprehensive health check-up and thereby minimize the risk of diseases related to reproduction - family planning.

People of Chi Khe commune (Con Cuong) participate in the population service provision point. Photo: My Ha

Con Cuong district is one of the localities that cares about population - family planning issues and implements population strategy goals. For that reason, in recent years, people's awareness of the Party and State's policies and guidelines on population - reproductive health - family planning has changed dramatically in both awareness and action.

Throughout the district, the emulation movement to build a family with 2 children, prosperity, equality, progress, and happiness is increasingly widespread, spreading to every hamlet, village, and hamlet. Along with that, the work of taking care of people's health in general, and reproductive health care in particular, is being paid attention to, increasing the rate of pregnant mothers who receive regular prenatal checkups to diagnose diseases before birth, the rate of malnourished children is decreasing, and consulting on health care for the elderly is regularly being paid attention to. Currently, the rate of couples accepting contraception is 70%, the birth rate is decreasing, reaching and exceeding the target compared to the plan.

Consulting on contraceptives for people in Con Cuong district. Photo: My Ha

Not only bringing services to the people, in recent years, through the implementation of Project 818 on socialization of means of transportcontraception, people at the grassroots level have also changed their approach, moving from passive to active use of contraceptives. This is also a way to contribute to reducing unwanted births and the rate of third births. In Thanh Chuong district, Mr. Nguyen Hien Ngoc - Deputy Director of the District Health Center is very happy because thanks to Project 818, the district's population work has had positive changes.

Previously, since 2011, the free provision of contraceptives has been gradually reduced, while people's demand is still very high. In response to this legitimate need, the Thanh Chuong District Population and Family Planning Center boldly proposed the socialization of contraceptives to departments and branches many years before Project 818. When approved, the center contacted to buy these products through the Family Planning Association or reputable channels guided by the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning and trusted by most people. Currently, when Project 818 has been widely deployed, people have sought out population officials and collaborators to entrust and consider this a reputable channel to both buy products and receive free consultation.

Flexible and diverse in task implementation

Up to this point, Nghe An's population work still faces many difficult challenges, such as the number of births, the rate of third and higher births, and the gender imbalance at birth. However, population work has also had positive changes when in 2022, many indicators of Nghe An decreased, with the total number of births decreasing by 1,682 and the number of third and higher births decreasing by 686 compared to 2021. At the end of 2022, the rate of third and higher births in the whole province was 29.45%, down 0.41% compared to 2021.

For a province with a low starting point like Nghe An, the improvement of some population indicators is a positive signal, showing that population work has changed and is gradually affecting people's awareness.

This is also a good premise for Nghe An to persevere with the solutions being implemented and successfully carry out two tasks, which are to both do well in Population - Family Planning work and improve population quality.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Tan - Head of the Department of Population and Family Planning shared more:

In fact, in recent years, Nghe An's Population Department has simultaneously implemented many solutions to both promote propaganda work, help people better understand Population - Family Planning policies, and deploy many activities aimed at the grassroots level so that more and more people and more beneficiaries can benefit.

Consulting on population policy for people in Thanh Chuong district. Photo: Thanh Chuong Medical Center

Over the past year, in order to promote communication activities on population and health in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, social networking sites such as Facebook, Zalo, Tiktok, etc. have become quick and effective channels of information and propaganda for the industry on population and health policies and activities.

Therefore, up to now, 100% of population - health officials of 460 communes, wards and towns, 100% of health centers of districts and cities in Nghe An province have Facebook pages to propagate population - health of the unit. In addition, units from communes to districts have close connections with the Provincial Department of Population - Family Planning through the Facebook page "Nghe An Population" and the health - population communication information pages of districts, cities and towns and have promptly reflected activities, propaganda work, providing official information to people on cyberspace. This is also a modern propaganda channel, capable of interacting and spreading to a large number of people.

In 2022, the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning chaired and organized over 90 thematic talks on population and development work in the new situation with many contents such as the current situation and policies on population work for departments, branches, and mass organizations at the commune and hamlet levels; Knowledge and skills on reproductive health care for women of childbearing age; On reducing gender imbalance at birth, building happy families and improving population quality, on socializing contraceptives, and taking care of the health of the elderly in the community.

To improve the effectiveness of propaganda work, the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning has coordinated with 12 provincial-level units to strengthen and promote communication activities on population and development work in the new situation. Since then, many practical activities have been organized, attracting many participants such as coordinating with the Women's Union to launch the contest "Women with population work in the new situation". The industry has coordinated with the Provincial Association of the Elderly for many years to successfully organize the contest "Elderly people live happily - Live healthily"...

People of Anh Son district learn about population policy. Photo: My Ha

Entering 2023, with many challenges and difficulties, Nghe An Population Department continues to implement the goals of reducing births, reducing the rate of third and higher births, reducing the gender ratio at birth and gradually improving the quality of population and health care for the elderly. At the same time, making the most of the golden population period to serve the socio-economic development of the province and adapting to the trend of population aging in the following years.