Nghe An promotes innovation in population communication in the new situation

On the morning of March 16, Comrade Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee had a meeting with leaders of the Department of Health and members of the Provincial Steering Committee for Population and Development to give comments on the draft Project "Innovation and improvement of the quality of population communication in Nghe An province for the period 2020-2025".

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long concluded and gave his opinion on the draft project. Photo: My Ha

In Nghe An, in recent times, population communication work has achieved many important results with many innovations in implementation forms and attracted tens of thousands of participants. Many good models and advanced examples have been maintained and replicated, creating a deep spread in the community and the whole society.

However, to achieve the goal of reducing the birth rate of the third child or more, reducing gender imbalance at birth, and achieving replacement fertility in the next 10 years, communication work must be the top priority.

Comrade Nguyen Ba Tan - Head of the Department of Population and Family Planning spoke at the meeting. Photo: My Ha

At the meeting, representatives of the Population sector presented a draft with 6 tasks: Regularly providing information to leaders of the Party, government, departments, branches and organizations on population and development work; continuing to effectively organize communication activities to reduce the birth rate and the rate of third and higher births; improving communication activities on reducing gender imbalance at birth and adapting to population aging; innovating and effectively organizing communication activities to improve population quality; diversifying forms of communication on population; improving the quality of staff working on population communication at all levels.

A communication session on International Day of the Girl Child by students of Cua Lo town. Photo: My Ha

Commenting on the draft project, at the meeting, many opinions said that in order to carry out population work according to Resolution No. 21 in the new situation, propaganda work needs to be adjusted to meet the new goals, requirements, and tasks.

In addition, some delegates said that it is necessary to further describe the current population situation, especially the population targets that the province has not achieved, in relation to the whole country to correctly assess the situation. Along with that, it is necessary to review the tasks and solutions to be accurate, correct, and clear for implementation. Pay more attention to the population of specific areas to have appropriate communication solutions...

Concluding the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Bui Dinh Long requested the Department of Health, the unit drafting the Project, to accept and make it concise, clear, and highlight the necessity of issuing the Project; consider including the ratio in the general target. Along with that, the tasks and solutions need to be arranged more scientifically to avoid duplication.

The meeting also agreed on the content of the draft Project to be submitted to the Provincial People's Committee for consideration and approval at the next regular meeting.

Nghe An is a province with a large population (3.3 million people, ranked 4th in the country), high population density (202 people/km2), high birth rate and total fertility rate (TFR = 2.75 children), the province with the 2nd highest birth rate in the country.

It is forecasted that by 2029-2039, Nghe An will reach replacement fertility (meanwhile, the whole country has reached replacement fertility since 2006).