Thanh Chuong: Reducing the rate of giving birth to the third child or more

(Baonghean.vn) -In the past 7 years, the third child birth rate in Thanh Chuong district has decreased significantly, the natural birth rate is also quite stable. That is thanks to innovations in population communication work in a poor mountainous district like Thanh Chuong.

The family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Tham and Mr. Thai Van Hung (in Thanh My commune) has 2 daughters. They are very young and financially well-off, but they still insist on not having a third child. To them, boys and girls are their children as long as they are raised well.

Not only the family of Ms. Tham and Mr. Hung, but also the family of Mr. Phan Dinh Vy and Ms. Vo Thi Huong (in hamlet 15, Thanh My commune) are the same. They also have 2 daughters, the older one is 11 years old this year, the younger one is 8 years old. Although both sets of grandparents and friends have suggested having more children many times, they still insist on not having a third child. When we asked why he did not break the "single-parent family" for generations, Mr. Vy shared: My wife and I do not care about having a son or a daughter, but the most important thing for us is how to raise our children to be educated and become useful people for society.

In the mountainous commune of Thanh My, we saw many families with only two daughters but decided not to have a third child. Because they understand the difficulties encountered when having a large family. That result is thanks to innovation in population work. Innovation from the working methods of population officers to the awareness of the people.

Ms. Le Thi Tuyet (a staff member of the Women's Union of Thanh My commune, who has been involved in population work for 10 years) said: in previous years, when she first started doing population work, Thanh My was one of the communes classified as having a weak population status. There were couples that I had to visit their homes 3 or 4 times to persuade them to use contraceptives, but now there is no need to persuade them anymore, they find more suitable and modern contraceptives for themselves.

Thanks to the innovation in population work, the attention of all levels, sectors and the Thanh Chuong District Population Center, in recent years Thanh My has become one of the top communes in the district to do well in population and family planning work. In 2011 alone, Thanh My had 8 hamlets with no one giving birth to a third child or more.

In addition to focusing on communication work and organizing clubs such as the No Third Child Club, Thanh Chuong District Population Center also advised the District People's Committee to direct the signing of commitments among civil servants and employees not to have a third child according to a new form, which is stricter, more complete and ensures that it is difficult to circumvent the law. Establishing a sustainable family development club, a male farmer club with population work, launching a life skills and reproductive health club for young people in high schools. In particular, implementing communication programs and services suitable for each locality.

In addition to the diverse combination of population communication work, Thanh Chuong district also has a team of population officers and collaborators with more than 600 members from 40 communes and towns. All are enthusiastic, responsible and dedicated to their work. Thanks to that, in recent years the third child birth rate in Thanh Chuong district has decreased significantly. In 2006, it decreased by 21.3%, by 2011 the birth rate decreased to 15.3%, the natural population growth rate is also quite stable, not exceeding 13%.

Thanh Huong (Thanh Chuong Radio Station)