Nghe An is proactive and innovative to adapt to population work in the new situation.

Nghe An Newspaper had an interview with Dr. Hoang Dinh Tung - Head of the Provincial Population Department about population work in the new situation.

PV:Sir, in 2024, many activities of the Population sector were interrupted for various reasons. In that context, what solutions has the sector had to effectively implement the set goals and plans?

BSCK1 Hoang Dinh Tung:In 2024, although interrupted by various reasons regarding changes in unit heads, names, procedures and processes for organizing and implementing activities under the new Bidding Law; however, with many synchronous solutions, the Population sector has effectively implemented the set goals and plans. Specifically, from the beginning of the year,Population Departmentproactively advised the Department of Health and the Department of Planning and Investment to submit to the Provincial People's Committee a decision to assign plan targets for 2024; advised the Department of Health to issue instructions on implementing the 2024 plan. At the same time, guided medical centers of districts, cities and towns to organize the implementation of the plan and assign plan targets to communes, wards and towns.

At the Sub-Department, departments are required to develop detailed budgets for activities; supplement and amend the agency's regulations; and promote the spirit and responsibility of each individual and each specialized department in performing their tasks.

With the efforts, determination, solidarity, unanimity and consensus of the entire population staff, up to this point, the Population sector has basically completed its set goals and tasks and achieved many important results.

Notably, it has advised the Department of Health to coordinate with the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to organize activities in response to major holidays of the year.

Coordinate with provincial departments, branches and organizations to organize many competitions for the elderly, women and students such as: "Elderly people live happily and healthily", "Women with population and development work", "Ring the golden bell to learn about population/reproductive health of adolescents/youth". Organize hundreds of communication and community consultation sessions on contents such as: Health care for the elderly; Reproductive health care/family planning for women; Gender imbalance at birth; Reduce births, reduce births of the third child or more; Prenatal and newborn screening and improve population quality;...

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We have also organized training courses to improve communication capacity for population officials at district and commune levels; health and population collaborators at block, hamlet, village and commune levels.

Activities of collecting, updating information on changes, processing and managing the population data system are focused on, ensuring timeliness and accuracy...

BSCKI Hoang Dinh Tung - Head of the Population Department

PV:One of the issues of concern in 2024 is that the Ministry of Health is assigned to preside over the development of the Population Law Project. In the current context of Nghe An province, what is the significance of the promulgation of the Population Law, sir?

BSCK1 Hoang Dinh Tung:Up to this point, Nghe An is still a province with a large population (ranked 4th in the country) and a high birth rate (in the top 10 provinces with the highest birth rates in the country), the birth rate of the third child or more is still high, the gender imbalance at birth is at an alarming level, the population is aging rapidly, and the population quality is not commensurate with the province's potential.

In addition, reproductive health care issues before marriage, adolescents, youth; health care for the elderly, mothers and children still face many difficulties; children are born malnourished, stunted, with congenital defects and deformities are still high... These are the difficulties and challenges that need to be addressed in Nghe An's current population work.

When the Population Law is passed and replaces the Population Ordinance, it will create a unified and synchronous legal basis, contributing to institutionalizing the Party's guidelines, policies and strategies on population work in the new situation.

The basic policies in the Population Law Project are also the core issues of population work in the new situation, such as the policy of "Maintaining replacement fertility", the policy of "Reducing gender imbalance at birth and bringing the sex ratio at birth back to natural balance".

However, for provinces with many difficulties and challenges, especially related to the issue of scale and birth rate, the high rate of third and higher births, the birth of the Population Law requires more efforts and attempts in propaganda and mobilization work of those working in population work.

For example, in the Draft Population Law under development, the Ministry of Health has proposed to regulate the right of couples and individuals to decide on childbirth, the timing of childbirth, the number of children and the spacing between births, in order to firmly maintain the replacement fertility level nationwide. Meanwhile, Nghe An is still having to carry out two tasks in parallel: reducing births to the replacement fertility level and improving population quality.

PV:In 2025, what solutions will the Population sector focus on to complete the set goals?

BSCK1 Hoang Dinh Tung:To complete the set goals, in 2025, the sector will continue to focus on achieving and exceeding assigned targets, especially the target of reducing birth rates, in order to proactively adjust the population growth rate, reduce the gender imbalance at birth, gradually improve the quality of the population and take care of the health of the elderly; make the most of the golden population period to serve the socio-economic development of the province, and at the same time, adapt to the trend of population aging in the following years.

To do this task well, it is necessary to continue to effectively implement projects and plans of the Population and Development Target Program and projects and models approved by the Provincial People's Committee. During the implementation process, priority will be given to investment in population work in specific areas with high birth rates, coastal areas, and educational areas.

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We also hope that relevant localities, departments and branches will strengthen the Party's leadership and invest government resources in population work, making population work a key content in the leadership and direction of Party committees and authorities at all levels.

At the same time, properly implement the policy of continuing to shift the focus from Population - Family Planning to Population and Development to comprehensively solve issues of population size, structure, population distribution and improve population quality.

BSCKI Hoang Dinh Tung - Head of the Population Department

PV:Thank you!