The General Department of Population and Family Planning and the HanoiPeople’s Committee held a meeting on July 11 to mark World PopulationDay, themed “Adolescent Pregnancy”.
Addressing themeeting, Deputy General Director of the general department Le Canh Nhacemphasised the need to increase investment in reproductive health care,especially those for teenagers and youngsters.
Inrecent years, Hanoi has gained remarkable achievements inpopulation and family planning work. Activities to raise the quality ofpopulation, reduce gender imbalance at birth and improve reproductivehealth have been maintained and expanded.
However,the city still faces many challenges and difficulties, including thefast increase in its population due to the high number of women ofchild-bearing age and deep-rooted traditional wish to have many childrenand sons.
Notably, abortion rate in the capitalcity is still high. Unsafe sex, unwanted pregnancy and sexuallytransmitted diseases (STDs) among adolescents and youngsters also tendto increase as young people lack knowledge of sexual and reproductivehealth.
Director of the municipal Health DepartmentNguyen Khac Hien said that in the coming time, the city will focus onproviding teenagers with essential knowledge to make them more aware ofsexual and reproductive health through programmes at school and at home.
The same day, Ho Chi Minh City also organised ameeting to celebrate the Day, with the aim to increase the community’sawareness of teen pregnancy.
According to statisticsof the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), over one third of Vietnameseadolescents do not have access to contraceptives, and underage abortionsaccount for an estimated 20 percent of the total cases. The rate ofteenaged mothers was 46 per 1,000 girls in 2011, and the figure tendedto be higher among groups with lower education level, lower livingstandards, ethnic minority groups, and communities in northern mid-landand mountainous areas.
Arthur Erken,UNFPA Representative in Vietnam said adolescent pregnancy is a worldproblem. Often it is a consequence of poverty, discrimination,rights violations including child marriage, sexual coercion andinadequate education.-VNA
Addressing themeeting, Deputy General Director of the general department Le Canh Nhacemphasised the need to increase investment in reproductive health care,especially those for teenagers and youngsters.
Inrecent years, Hanoi has gained remarkable achievements inpopulation and family planning work. Activities to raise the quality ofpopulation, reduce gender imbalance at birth and improve reproductivehealth have been maintained and expanded.
However,the city still faces many challenges and difficulties, including thefast increase in its population due to the high number of women ofchild-bearing age and deep-rooted traditional wish to have many childrenand sons.
Notably, abortion rate in the capitalcity is still high. Unsafe sex, unwanted pregnancy and sexuallytransmitted diseases (STDs) among adolescents and youngsters also tendto increase as young people lack knowledge of sexual and reproductivehealth.
Director of the municipal Health DepartmentNguyen Khac Hien said that in the coming time, the city will focus onproviding teenagers with essential knowledge to make them more aware ofsexual and reproductive health through programmes at school and at home.
The same day, Ho Chi Minh City also organised ameeting to celebrate the Day, with the aim to increase the community’sawareness of teen pregnancy.
According to statisticsof the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), over one third of Vietnameseadolescents do not have access to contraceptives, and underage abortionsaccount for an estimated 20 percent of the total cases. The rate ofteenaged mothers was 46 per 1,000 girls in 2011, and the figure tendedto be higher among groups with lower education level, lower livingstandards, ethnic minority groups, and communities in northern mid-landand mountainous areas.
Arthur Erken,UNFPA Representative in Vietnam said adolescent pregnancy is a worldproblem. Often it is a consequence of poverty, discrimination,rights violations including child marriage, sexual coercion andinadequate education.-VNA
