'Golden time' of population communication in Nghe An

Strengthen communication

Contest "Women with work"populationin the new situation" is the latest integrated communication session recently coordinated by the Department of Population - Family Planning with the District Women's Union.Thanh Chuongorganization.

The contest was attended by representatives from Thanh Lien, Thanh Linh communes and Thanh Chuong town with many interesting and useful rounds such as: Knowledge contest with the theme "Understanding and sharing"; Talent and creativity contest with the theme "Full of happiness" and the cheerleading contest with the theme "Connecting love - strengthening solidarity". The content of the questions revolved around issues of Population policy - Family planning; reproductive health care and adolescent health; contraceptive methods; building family happiness...

Contest "Women with population work in the new situation". Photo: Cong Kien

The impression of the contest is also the skits with everyday stories about the reality of having a third child, male preference, female contempt, promoting family affection, hometown and village love. Through these stories, each person and each family is reminded to properly implement the regulations on population policy to build a prosperous and happy family.

“Listen, share” is the theme of the communication session on adolescent and youth health care organized by the Department of Population - Family Planning at Ky Tan Secondary School. The communication session only lasted for more than 1 hour but promptly provided students with useful knowledge about important changes in adolescence, how to care for and protect themselves during puberty to avoid sexual abuse, prevent unwanted pregnancies, etc.

Golden Bell Contest to learn about reproductive health. Photo: Duc Anh

Equipping thoselife skillsThis basic knowledge is also a provision for students to enter life in a safe and healthy way, improve their social skills, and have cultural behaviors. Along with similar content, recently, the communication program on reproductive health care for adolescents and young people has also reached many other schools in districts such as Thanh Chuong, Nghi Loc, Do Luong and Cua Lo town.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Quang - Head of the Communication - Population Department (Department of Population - Family Planning of the province) said: The epidemic has lasted for many months, making population communication activities difficult. Therefore, taking advantage of the "golden time", from the beginning of October until now, we have organized many communication activities to many subjects such as: Communication on reproductive health care issues such as students, "Communication program on population policy and development in the new situation", "Communication and community consultation on Population - Reproductive Health Care contributing to building happy families" for people in many districts, cities and towns.

Communication in the context of an epidemic has many more difficulties such as having to organize on a small scale, strictly ensuring epidemic prevention regulations, but the results are very great and receive the support of the majority of people.

Provide services to a wide range of audiences

From mid-November until now, a series of communication activities associated with the provision of reproductive health care/family planning services have been organized by the Population Department in coordination with the Health Centers of Con Cuong and Anh Son districts for more than 700 women of childbearing age in Mau Duc and Thach Ngan communes (Con Cuong), Cao Son and Lang Son (Anh Son).

People of Ky Son district participate in the program providing family health care services. Photo: Thai Tuyet

These are all communes in remote, disadvantaged areas with a high proportion of ethnic minorities. In recent years, due to unfavorable travel conditions and limited public awareness, reproductive health care/family planning has not received much attention and focus.

With the main goal of bringing services to the grassroots, the communication program associated with service provision has organized many practical activities of consultation, gynecological examination, cervical ultrasound, CTC endoscopy, IUD placement, providing drugs to treat gynecological infections, contraceptives and condoms for free to the participants. In addition, women participating in the campaign are also advised by medical staff on how to prevent and treat sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive health care.

Traveling nearly 300 kilometers, the population workers also came to the ethnic minority women in My Ly and Bac Ly communes (Ky Son). The consultation session was truly a festival for the people here, because in this remote, mountainous area, access to ultrasound machines and reproductive health care/family planning services is very rare.

Through the examinations and consultations of doctors and population officers, people have also gained a lot of knowledge about reproductive health, contraception and the negative aspects of early marriage.

Consulting people about reproductive health knowledge. Photo: Thai Tuyet

Ms. Thai Thi Tuyen - Head of the Family Planning Department (Department of Population - Family Planning) said: "Despite difficult conditions, this year we still try to bring services to special and difficult areas, because these are areas far from the center, without conditions for people to enjoy reproductive health care services. We also hope that after these consultation sessions and service provision, people will have increased awareness so that they will be aware of taking care of their health, protecting themselves and enhancing their responsibility to the community and society in implementing the Population - Family Planning policy".

Since the beginning of the year, the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning has organized 15 thematic talks on reproductive health care for women of childbearing age, 23 communication and community consultation sessions on reproductive health care to contribute to building happy families; Communication on population and development, improving population quality... In addition, the Population and Family Planning Centers of districts, cities and towns; Population Steering Committees of communes, wards, and collaborators of blocks and hamlets have organized thousands of conferences, integrated communication sessions, and household visits...

In addition, the Department of Population and Family Planning organized 45 propaganda and counseling sessions on reproductive health care, prevention and control of sexual abuse for students at high schools and junior high schools in the form of extracurricular activities, direct communication and counseling, exchanges and concerns of students on issues related to reproductive health of adolescents and young people, attracting the participation of more than 28,000 students in the districts: Que Phong, Tan Ky, Nghia Dan, Yen Thanh, Thanh Chuong, Do Luong, Hung Nguyen, Nghi Loc, Quynh Luu, Cua Lo town, Thai Hoa town, Vinh city... The innovation and diversification of communication activities and service provision is also an effort of the industry after a long period when many population activities seemed to be stagnant due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Mr. Nguyen Ba Tan - Head of the Department of Population and Family Planning of Nghe An province awarded the first prize to the winner of the Golden Bell contest. Photo: Duc Anh

Mr. Nguyen Ba Tan - Head of the Nghe An Department of Population and Family Planning affirmed: "Communication always plays an important role in population work in the new period - the period of Population and Development. However, in the current context, the implementation in which form and which target audience need to be considered and with the Nghe An Population Department, we prioritize going to difficult areas with disadvantaged and vulnerable women or to students, because at this age they are curious, like to explore but lack basic knowledge about reproductive health of adolescents and young people".

My Ha