Stabilize population size and improve population quality

It must be noted that in the past 10 years, although population work has encountered many difficulties, with the attention and leadership of Party committees and authorities at all levels; the coordination of departments and branches, and the efforts of the population work force, many encouraging results have been achieved: the birth rate has decreased sharply, the average annual population growth rate has gradually decreased, almost reaching the goal of "each couple having two children", creating an opportunity to stabilize the population, from 3.08 children/1 woman (in 2000) to 2.55 children/1 woman now.

In particular, in the first 5 months of 2011, the birth rate and the third birth rate of the whole province decreased sharply. However, the population/family planning work is currently facing difficulties and challenges. The gender imbalance is at an alarming level and tends to increase rapidly, from 2003 (113 boys/100 girls), 2006 (118 boys/100 girls), 2008 (122 boys/100 girls); 2010 (123 boys/100 girls); the rate of the population with physical and mental disabilities accounts for more than 15%, the rate of malnourished children is still high; reproductive health is facing new challenges, the number of women with reproductive tract infections is quite common. Nghe An is the 4th most populous province in the country; Population density: 177 people/km2 (4-5 times higher than the standard density); in the top 10 provinces with the highest birth rate in the country (average 2.55 children/1 woman giving birth); the mentality of having many children, giving birth to "have both boys and girls", giving birth to avoid risks... still exists in the community, while people's lives are at a low income level. And, the most worrying and disturbing thing today is the increasing tendency of cadres and party members to have a third child. This has been happening in the plains, mountainous areas and right in the heart of the city.

Launching the "Male farmers with reproductive health care/family planning" club in Ngoc Lam commune (Thanh Chuong).

Ms. Sam Thi Hanh - Director of Que Phong District Population and Family Planning Center said: Previously in Que Phong, there were some party members who violated the law by having a third child, but they were party members in villages and hamlets, and mainly Mong ethnic party members. Now, most of those who have a third child are party members in schools, agencies, and units. It is forecasted that by the end of the year of the Cat, especially in 2012, the year of the Dragon, the rate of third child birth among party members will increase, and the birth rate in the district will explode again. We are coordinating with departments, branches, and organizations, especially village elders and village chiefs to step up advocacy and propaganda work to all people of childbearing age.

On average, the birth rate in the first 5 months of the year decreased, but in each district, it increased, mainly among cadres and party members... The goal is for each family to have 1-2 healthy, educated and trained children, moving towards stabilizing the population size at a reasonable level by 2025 to gradually improve the quality of the population in terms of physical strength, intelligence and spirit to develop human resources, meeting the needs of industrialization and modernization. However, with the current high birth rate, the set goal is difficult to achieve. Especially for party members who are tending to have a third child (after Decision 09 and 01), the province should have a specific guideline for Nghe An, so that the birth rate of a third child among party members can be controlled. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Hoa - Head of the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning: In the coming time, the sector will closely follow the detailed plan of activities in 2011 to focus on directing and operating, effectively implementing, striving to complete and exceed the targets assigned by the Central Government and the Provincial People's Committee on reducing births and reducing the rate of third and more children. Effectively deploy models to improve population quality, communication in religious and coastal areas, reproductive health care for adolescents and youth, reproductive health care for the elderly, the issue of gender imbalance at birth... Continue to direct the organization and implementation of the Provincial People's Committee's Action Program on implementing Resolution No. 20 - NQ/TU dated June 26, 2009 of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee on continuing to promote population and family planning work in the new situation. Focus on promoting propaganda and mobilization work and providing reproductive health care services to all people...

Thu Huong