Nghe An strives for the sustainable development of population quality.

Preferadapting to the new situation

Since the implementation of the two-tiered local government system, population management in Nam Dan commune has undergone many changes and expanded its scope threefold compared to before.

To ensure that activities continued regularly, population officials in the three communes of the former Nam Dan district (including Nghia Thai, Nam Hung, and Nam Thanh) proactively assessed the actual situation at the grassroots level, assigned tasks, and coordinated the implementation of activities.

Thanks to that, from the beginning of July until nowpopulation workIn Nam Dan commune, regular activities are maintained, including reporting data, collecting information and keeping records, providing reproductive health care, and mobilizing people to implement population policies; methods of collecting information and keeping records… In mid-August, the Department of Health also coordinated with the Nam Dan Health Center and the People's Committee of Nam Dan commune to organize a conference on improving population quality with the participation of more than 200 members of the women's association, farmers' association, and youth union throughout the commune.

In Anh Son commune, after the implementation of a two-tiered local government system, population work has shifted to a multi-sectoral model and expanded its scope of activities. For example, the prevention and control of prostitution is directly integrated with social welfare programs, drug prevention and control, and HIV/AIDS prevention.

During the implementation process, the commune's socio-cultural department closely coordinated with relevant units to ensure that the most vulnerable groups had access to healthcare services and support for community reintegration. The Anh Son commune government also recognized that addressing social issues at their root to comprehensively improve the quality of human resources is the essence of population and development.

Broadcastcomprehensive development of population work

With the removal of historically restrictive population policies such as limiting each couple to one or two children, and amidst a constantly changing social landscape, Nghe An province is not choosing the safe path. Instead, the health sector is gradually transforming its mindset, shifting from simply controlling population size to creating a future where quality of life and sustainable development for its people are the highest priorities.

Previously, due to Nghe An's unique characteristics as a province with a large geographical area, a large population, and uneven population quality, population work was closely associated with the slogan "Family Planning" for many decades. However, from 2025, the amendment of the Population Ordinance and the introduction of strategic directives such as Decision 1745/QD-TTg have officially put an end to the era of focusing solely on quantity and initiated a new era - the era of Population and Development.

Based on this reality, in the coming period, Nghe An province has identified the key task of population work in the new situation as shifting the focus from Population - Family Planning to Population and Development, comprehensively addressing issues of population size, structure, distribution, and quality to build a sustainable workforce, aiming for a healthy and equitable society.

To ensure effective implementation, the sector will continue to carry out integrated counseling and communication activities to provide reproductive health/family planning services and improve the quality of the population in 2025.

At the same time, various forms, means, and contents should be used to convey information and messages about population and development to diverse audiences.

Therefore, the aim is to raise awareness, change behavior, and promote active participation of Party committees, government agencies, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, political and social organizations, and the community in addressing population issues.

Elaborating on this, Mr. Nguyen Van Nam – Deputy Director of the Nghe An Department of Health – stated: "This is not simply a change in policy, but a revolution in thinking. The health sector also recognizes this as a moment to redefine the role of population work in the new context. For population policy to be implemented effectively, population work needs to be closely integrated with sustainable development goals. In this context, issues such as improving population quality, gender balance, adapting to aging, and elderly care are no longer solely the responsibility of the health sector, but a shared responsibility of the entire political system."

During the implementation process, the leaders of the Department of Health affirmed that a favorable factor was Nghe An's dedicated and experienced population control officers, who are "silent soldiers" undeterred by difficulties, ready to "go door to door, check every individual." Furthermore, in the context of implementing a two-tiered local government system, the population control departments at health centers will play a key role in advising and coordinating effectively at the local level.

The health sector is committed to continuing to pursue strategic solutions: advising on appropriate policies, investing in improving the quality of the population, and strengthening inter-sectoral coordination to create synergistic strength.

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We believe that this transformation is not just about reports or targets. It is a commitment to a future where every citizen of Nghe An receives comprehensive care, attention, and development in terms of population issues."

Mr. Nguyen Van Nam - Deputy Director of the Department of Health