Vinh Phuc (VNA) – Acommunication campaign was kicked off at a ceremony in northern Vinh Phucprovince on October 24 to raise public awareness of imbalanced sex ratio at birthin Vietnam.
The campaign, launched by the GeneralOffice for Population and Family Planning (GOPFP) of the Ministry of Health,aims to urge the nation to provide girls with all possible conditions to promoteand heighten their status in society.
It will increase people’s awarenessof gender imbalance at birth occurring in Vietnam and its impacts on thecountry’s sustainable development for the enforcement of the government’spolicies in gender equality and the prevention of sex selection abortion.
In his remarks at the launchingceremony, GOPFP Deputy Director General Le Canh Nhac said Vietnam is facing arising imbalance in the male-to female sex ratio at birth in Vietnam since2001.
According to the UN Population Fund(UNFPA), in 2000, the country’s sex ratio atbirth was at normal levels and was estimated to be fairly close to normal (105boys to 100 girls).
The ratio increased to 112.2 in 2014 and climbed to 118 in 2015, Nhacsaid, warning that if it continues, about 2.3 – 4.3 million Vietnamese men willhave no chance of finding partners by 2050.
During the event, local authorities of Vinh Phuc province signed acommitment to participating in the joint effort to address gender imbalance atbirth and facilitate the development of local girls.-VNA