Diversity and flexibility in population communication in Nghe An

Expanding forms and media audiences

For over 2 years now, the Golden Bell contests to learn about reproductive health knowledge for adolescents and young people have been organized by the Population Department in many localities with many different subjects, from students, members of farmers' associations, and women.

Golden Bell Contest to learn about reproductive health knowledge at Que Phong Secondary School. Photo: Chien Thang

At Que Phong High School, in mid-November, the program was coordinated by the Department of Population - Family Planning with the District Population - Family Planning Center and the School Youth Union and received the participation of 100 students. Through 30 questions revolving around knowledge about population, adolescent reproductive health and social knowledge, the contestants had a lively, attractive and extremely useful playground. The contest also brought students many interesting experiences, a forum for them to share their knowledge and thoughts on many issues considered "sensitive" for school age.

“Through the contest, we are equipped with knowledge about reproductive health issues for adolescents and young people and have more skills to prevent problems such as sexual abuse, incestuous marriage, and early marriage.”

Student Lu Kieu Ly, class 12A3, Que Phong High School

Teachers of Tan Ky district enthusiastically participated in the Golden Bell contest. Photo: Manh Dat

Along with students, this year, the Department of Population and Family Planning has coordinated with many schools to organize consultation sessions on reproductive health care and gender issues.

However, unlike the Golden Bell contest, the consultation program with the participation of communication officers working on population issues promptly answered students' questions about current reproductive health issues. Through the program, the implementers also have a channel to survey and evaluate students' understanding of this issue, in order to develop appropriate solutions for effective communication and propaganda.

Communication at school is very practical and effective, especially with issues related to gender among students. This has been a gap for many years in schools, so not only students but also teachers participate enthusiastically.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Quang - Head of Population Communication Department - Department of Population - Family Planning

Up to now, communication activities on population have been carried out in an increasingly diverse and rich manner with many different objects and forms, with effective coordination of relevant departments and branches. In Cua Lo town, due to the characteristics of the coastal area, people like to have many children and wealth, and want to have sons to participate in sea labor, so the rate of couples taking care of reproductive health and using contraceptives is low.

Meanwhile, it is very difficult to gather members to participate in activities, the rate of giving birth to a third child or more is high. Faced with this reality, the Provincial Center for Population and Family Planning has directed some wards to build a model of "Skilled Mass Mobilization" in Population and Family Planning work called the "Sea Family" group, to strengthen communication activities on Population and Family Planning in coastal areas and special areas.

Population officers conduct propaganda at households in Tuong Duong district. Photo: Cong Kien

The group gathers couples of childbearing age from 20 to 45 to participate in activities, thereby providing basic knowledge, knowledge of policies and laws of the Party and State on population and family planning work, contributing to improving understanding, changing awareness, attitudes and behaviors for people. Participating in activities also helps members realize their role, position and responsibility in reproductive health care to have the right behavior in implementing family planning and child care, building a prosperous and happy family.

“To make population communication work effective, we research forms suitable for each target group and each region’s characteristics. In addition, we strengthen coordination to mobilize the participation of Party committees and authorities at all levels in population work. For example, we coordinate with the Town Labor Federation to bring content into activities for female workers and civil servants with the theme "Your Health", and coordinate with the Association of the Elderly to successfully organize the contest "Elderly people live happily and healthily" ...”.

Ms. Dinh Thi Hoang Nga - Director of the Center for Population - Family Planning of Cua Lo town said:

Contribute to improving population quality

Population education and communication activities are identified as a fundamental solution to achieve the goal of reducing births and the rate of third and higher births, contributing significantly to hunger eradication and poverty reduction; protecting, caring for health and improving the quality of life of the people of the province.

Currently, the communication activities of the Population sector in the province are deployed quite diversely through mass media, direct communication, community communication, small group counseling, household visits, and thematic talks.

Elderly people in Dien Chau district enthusiastically participate in the Happy Living - Healthy Living Contest. Photo: My Ha

The industry has also coordinated with departments, branches and organizations to continue to actively and effectively implement club models such as "Families without a third child", "Male farmers with population work", "5 no, 3 clean", "Grandmothers, grandmothers"...

In addition, competitions and exchanges on population - family planning and reproductive health care have been held enthusiastically from the province to the grassroots level; meetings to commend and commend the good implementation of population policies, and contents on population - family planning and reproductive health care have been included in village, hamlet, block, and hamlet conventions... which have also created many positive changes in the propaganda work on population and development.

Leaders of the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning awarded prizes to the winners of the Golden Bell Contest. Photo: Manh Dat

However, in addition to the achieved results, population communication work is facing many difficulties, and at times is not really timely. Communication products and equipment from the province to the grassroots level are still lacking and inadequate, not keeping up with digital technology and the internet.

The current difficulty in communication work is that there is more and more unofficial information and misunderstandings about the Party and State's policies and guidelines on population and development being posted and spread quickly and widely on social networking sites, affecting the work of propaganda and mobilizing people to implement policies.

To address the above shortcomings, the Population sector is currently developing a Project "Innovation and improvement of the quality of communication and education on population and development in the province for the period 2019 - 2030" with the aim of raising awareness, creating consensus and active support from the whole society in comprehensively and synchronously resolving issues of population size, structure, distribution and quality.

“Up to this point, Nghe An’s population work still faces many difficulties and challenges, and we are still having to carry out two tasks in parallel: reducing births and improving population quality. In that context, we also determined that for population work to be effective, communication must still be the leading task to gradually influence people and change their awareness of population work. At the same time, we need to effectively utilize the golden population structure, distribute population reasonably, improve population quality, and contribute to the rapid and sustainable socio-economic development of Nghe An province.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Tan - Head of the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning