Launching response to National Population Month

Comrade Vo Thanh Dong - Deputy Director General of the General Department of Population and Family Planning, along with leaders of the Department of Health, Yen Thanh district and many people attended the launching ceremony. Photo: My Ha

This year's National Action Month on Population was launched with the theme: "Caring for reproductive health of adolescents and youth for the future of the race". Currently, Vietnamese adolescents and youth (population group from 10 to 24 years old) account for over 22% of the population, are a powerful social force with great potential and initiative.

However, adolescents and young people today have changed in customs and culture, such as getting married at a later age and increasing premarital sex.

Adolescent and young people's reproductive health is one of the important factors that determine the quality of the population, the quality of human resources and the future of the race. Although there have been many efforts in propaganda and education, the situation of early sexual relations, unsafe sex, unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion, the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV infection in adolescents and young people still tends to increase, especially in rural areas, remote areas, and concentrated industrial zones.

Leaders of the Department of Health and the Department of Population and Family Planning presented gifts to families that have well implemented the population policy in Yen Thanh district. Photo: My Ha

According to statistics, the abortion rate in our country is very high with 250 - 300,000 cases per year. In particular, for every 1,000 abortions, there are 15 cases in adolescents. In addition, basic knowledge and skills on protecting and caring for reproductive health of adolescents and young people are still limited and there is still a mentality of fear and avoidance.

From this reality, to practically respond to the National Action Month on Population, the leaders of the Department of Health require Party committees at all levels, authorities, departments, branches, unions, and social organizations to continue to promote communication, education, and provision of services, counseling, and reproductive health care for young people.

In particular, it is necessary to identify that reproductive health care for adolescents and young people is one of the important factors that determine the quality of the population, the quality of human resources and the future of the race. At the same time, create all conditions for adolescents and young people to actively study and work, to ensure that they receive comprehensive care and fully exercise their rights and obligations.

Besides, localities need to strengthen leadership, direction and invest more resources in population and development work...

People of Yen Thanh district marched in response to the 2018 Population Action Month. Photo: My Ha

At the ceremony, the Provincial Population Steering Committee also presented 10 gifts to families that have well implemented the population policy of Yen Thanh district and organized a parade and deployed a model of reproductive health care for adolescents and youth at Hoang Ta Thon Secondary School (Long Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district)./.