Nghe An: 'Sweet fruit' when population policy comes into life

Looking back at the results in recent years, Specialist II Doctor Nguyen Ba Tan - Head of the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning had an interview with Nghe An Newspaper.

PV:Sir, 2022 is the 5th year that Nghe An has implemented Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW (Resolution No. 21) of the 12th Party Central Committee on "Population work in the new situation". The Resolution clearly stated that "investment in population work is investment in development"; at the same time, it has proposed new viewpoints, new goals along with a system of solutions. So in Nghe An, after 5 years of implementation, how has the implementation of Resolution No. 21 impacted the population work of the province?

MD.CKII Nguyen Ba Tan:This is a very important resolution for the industry.Populationin particular and health in general. For Nghe An, when Resolution 21 was issued, those working in population were very happy and considered it a compass, a red thread throughout to implement activities throughout the province.

Deputy Director General of the General Department of Population and Family Planning Pham Vu Hoang visits the population service provision model in Con Cuong district. Photo: My Ha

During the implementation process, we promptly advised and the Provincial Party Committee issued Directive No. 25 to replace Directive No. 09, issuing the Action Program to implement Resolution 21. In particular, on April 1, 2019, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision 1114 with a very specific and detailed plan of 43 activities to be implemented in the area.

Following the Provincial People's Committee's Plan, we based on 9 plans, programs and projects of the Ministry of Health to develop 2 projects and 6 plans to deploy in the area on population work in the new situation and have deployed synchronously in 21 districts, cities, towns and 463 communes and towns.

Over the past 4 years, Nghe An has resolutely implemented the contents of Resolution 21 and the programs and projects have truly come into life and achieved many positive results, and every cadre, party member and citizen of all ages has fully understood this resolution.

PV:During a recent working trip to Nghe An, Dr. Pham Vu Hoang - Deputy Director General of the General Department of Population and Family Planning (Ministry of Health) highly appreciated Nghe An's initiative, demonstrated in the work of consulting and selecting priority issues. Is that our greatest success in implementing Resolution No. 21?

MD.CKII Nguyen Ba Tan:As I said, after Resolution No. 21 was issued, the Population sector has been very proactive and flexible in advising the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and Provincial People's Committee to issue important documents on population work, especially the institutionalization of Resolution No. 21...

A skit participating in the contest "Healthcare workers with population work". Photo: My Ha

The policies and resolutions issued are all important documents, defining the system of viewpoints, goals to be achieved and the main tasks and solutions of population work.

In particular, the issuance of Resolution No. 15/2020/NQ-HDND by the Provincial People's Council stipulating a number of policies on population and development work in the new situation with many reward policies for communes, wards, towns, blocks and hamlets with no third or more children and rearranging the population apparatus system, all have extremely positive meanings.

Previously, more than 180 communes, wards and towns in the province did not have population collaborators who are also medical staff, but after Resolution No. 15/2020/NQ-HDND was issued, we have basically "covered" them and this is a good premise to help population work at the grassroots level operate more and more effectively.

PV:The core content of Resolution No. 21 is to shift the focus of population policy from family planning to population and development. However, in Nghe An, we still have to carry out two tasks in parallel. What is the reason and what difficulties is the provincial population sector facing?

MD.CKII Nguyen Ba Tan:Nghe An is different from 9 provinces with replacement fertility and 21 provinces with low fertility. Therefore, the tasks of Nghe An Population Department are also different, we have to go "on two legs" with 2 strategic tasks at the same time, which is to do a good job of family planning to ensure population size, reduce births, and strive to achieve replacement fertility by 2030; on the other hand, we still have to improve population quality.

In fact, after many years of perseverance, in 2021 and 2022, the birth rate in the province began to decrease and reached the target assigned by the province. However, frankly speaking, compared to the national average, the birth rate in Nghe An is still high. From this reality, those working in population work from 2023 to 2030 must continue to reduce births and implement family planning measures.

Second, we must limit the number of children born to three or more. We are also “zoning” to focus on areas with a high birth rate of three or more children, such as special areas, coastal areas, densely populated rural areas, etc. So that leaders and people can understand and share the need to stop at two children to raise them well.

People of Thai Hoa town enthusiastically participated in the contest "Elderly people live happily and healthily". Photo: My Ha

PV:After 5 years of implementing Resolution No. 21, what lessons have we learned and how will it continue to be promoted in the next phase, sir?

MD.CKII Nguyen Ba Tan:To do population work well requires a process and the participation of all levels and sectors, especially the Party Committee and government.

For Nghe An, it is currently one of the few provinces that the General Department of Population and Family Planning has assessed as effectively implementing Resolution No. 21. The biggest lesson is that from the beginning, there must be consultation and direction through documents and resolutions from provincial departments and branches. After that, there must be enthusiastic, genuine and real response from Party committees and local authorities. During the implementation process, regular inspection and evaluation must be carried out. Difficulties, problems and shortcomings will be promptly considered to have solutions to help localities and units overcome existing shortcomings.

We have entered 2023 with many heavy tasks. Therefore, I hope that those working in population work across the province, from collaborators in villages, hamlets, and communes to commune officials, district and provincial population officials, will make every effort to overcome difficulties and continue the achievements that have been made.

In 2022, the population work was highly appreciated by the health sector for its excellent completion of tasks. This will be the driving force for the whole sector to continue to strive towards the goal of the province having a suitable population size, the quality of the population and human resources is increasingly improved to serve the socio-economic development of Nghe An province.

Dr. Nguyen Ba Tan - Head of the Department of Population and Family Planning of Nghe An province.

PV:Thank you for the chat!