Nghe An population overcomes difficulties to carry out 'dual' tasks
While the whole country is shifting its focus from population and family planning to improving population quality, Nghe An's population work still has to carry out both tasks in parallel, synchronously implementing solutions to both reduce births and improve population quality.
Strengthen communication
Dai Son is one of the first 8 communes in Do Luong district to complete the integrated communication campaign to provide reproductive health care/family planning services and improve population quality by 2024. As a special locality, in the past, implementing the campaign to mobilize Dai Son people to go for health check-ups and implement family planning measures encountered many difficulties. Recently, although people's awareness has changed, there are still many obstacles for people to better understand population policies.
"I have been involved in population work in the area for 20 years and this is probably the most difficult period. In 2023, the third birth rate in the commune was more than 42%, much higher than the average rate of the district. Many families, especially those with conditions, want to have many children to "have both boys and girls", or want to have many sons".
Ms. Le Thi Kim Oanh - population officer of Dai Son commune
In order to mobilize nearly 300 women to participate in the population campaign, before the program was implemented, Dai Son commune integrated propaganda into many meetings of branches such as: Women, Farmers; in addition, increased communication on the commune's loudspeaker system.
Through the implementation, Ms. Le Thi Kim Oanh - a population officer of Dai Son commune shared: This 2024 population campaign is implemented with many activities from health check-ups, reproductive health counseling, family planning, so it attracts many participants. Through counseling, people gradually raise awareness to effectively implement family planning, improving population quality.
It is known that after the People's Council of Do Luong district abolished Resolution 05 on the implementation of some population policies, population work in the area encountered many difficulties. Many people believe that when the population policy is relaxed, people do not need to practice family planning or limit their children. That is also the reason why in recent years, the third child birth rate in Do Luong district has increased by over 30% and is at risk of increasing.
To raise awareness among the people, in recent times, Do Luong district has promoted activities such as propaganda on reproductive health/family planning issues for many groups such as union members, youth, women's union members, and farmers' union members. At the same time, the district has also promoted population communication campaigns, bringing services to each facility.
In the first phase of this year's population campaign, we provided completely free services for people such as gynecological health check-ups, IUD placement, etc. People also received abdominal and thyroid ultrasounds, free blood sugar and blood pressure tests, etc., so many people participated. We see this as an opportunity to integrate and promote awareness raising among people about implementing population/family planning policies.
Mr. Hoang Duc Thuy - Head of Population Department - Do Luong District Medical Center
Although only half of the implementation time has passed, up to this point, Tan Ky is one of the districts that has completed the population campaign early with 22/22 communes and towns having completed it. Mr. Ho Minh Ha - Head of Population Department - Tan Ky District Health Center shared: "The implementation of the population campaign is currently facing many difficulties due to budget cuts. Therefore, before implementing, we advised the District People's Committee to develop a plan, supplement funding and assign tasks to localities. During the implementation process, the district also connected with units to organize free examinations and consultations, so the people enthusiastically responded."
Improve population quality
The reproductive health care/family planning campaign is one of the key tasks of the Nghe An Population Department and lasts for many months during the year. In 2024, after the launching ceremony in Ky Son district, the campaign was implemented synchronously in 21 districts, cities and towns. Some localities have basically completed the goals and targets for implementing reproductive health care/family planning service packages set out in 2024.
"The population campaign is an annual activity that attracts thousands of women of childbearing age to participate. Through examination, consultation, knowledge provision and services to improve reproductive health, women will raise awareness, understanding and be more conscious in taking care of themselves and implementing family planning measures."
Ms. Thai Thi Tuyet - Head of Population Department, Department of Population - Family Planning of Nghe An province
In parallel with the implementation of the communication campaign, in the first 6 months of 2024, Nghe An Population Department continued to maintain and implement models and projects to achieve the goal of improving population quality such as the Project on screening, diagnosing and treating some diseases and disabilities before and after birth; Project on reducing birth rate and third child birth rate. In addition, it also organized specialized talks on reproductive health care, communication sessions, community consultation on reproductive health care to contribute to building happy families; communication on population and development, improving population quality... for officials and members of the Women's Union.
Propaganda work has also been promoted on many mass media. The provincial Department of Population and Family Planning has completed the production of communication products for mountainous areas and areas with high birth rates; conducted surveys and repaired key billboard clusters in the area; maintained the timely release of communication products on population content for the grassroots. With many efforts and attempts, in the first 6 months of the year, the number of children born in the whole province decreased by 400 compared to the same period, the number of children born as the third child or more, the sex ratio at birth also decreased and showed many positive signs.
However, in addition to the achieved results, the province's population work still faces many difficulties and challenges. In particular, since 2021, when the funding source for the Health - Population Target Program (the main source) has been deeply cut, it has affected the implementation of the sector's political tasks.
The synthesis also shows that although the birth rate has decreased, it is not sustainable. In some remote areas, coastal areas, high-populated areas, and areas with Catholics, the rate of giving birth to a third child or more is high, the rate of women with gynecological diseases is still high, and the gender imbalance at birth is on the rise, which are extremely difficult problems requiring the efforts of the population work force from the province to the grassroots level.
From the above reality, the parallel implementation of two tasks of Nghe An Population sector in the coming time will still have many difficulties.
From now until the end of the year, we will continue to focus on directing, guiding and organizing the implementation of the integrated communication campaign to provide reproductive health care/family planning services and improve population quality in the second phase of 2024 in districts, cities and towns. At the same time, we will carry out activities to provide reproductive health care/family planning services in extremely disadvantaged communes, religious areas, coastal areas, special areas, high birth rate areas, industrial zones, etc.
Mr. Phan Van Hue - Deputy Head of the Department of Population and Family Planning of Nghe An province
The sector also identified that the main task at present is to achieve and exceed the assigned targets, especially the targets 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. From there, there are practical and effective solutions to complete the set goals./.
