Hanoi to intensify efforts to improve population quality

Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi will increase activities to improve its population quality in the time ahead, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Health Hoang Duc Hanh stated on July 9.

Hanh, who is also deputy head of the city’s steering board for population and family planning affairs, made the remark at a ceremony held in Thanh Tri district to mark the World Population Day (July 11).

He further stressed Hanoi will step up communications to boost public consensus on population issues and also take measures to gradually bring the sex ratio at birth to the natural level, capitalise on the “golden population structure”, adapt to population ageing, and ensure appropriate population distribution.

The official also reported the achievement of population and family planning targets for 2018, adding that the birth rate was reduced by 0.17 per mille from the previous year to 15.13 per mille, the number of third children born fell 0.1 percent, and the sex ratio at birth was 113 males per 100 females.

While the prenatal screening rate reached 76 percent of the pregnant women, the newborn screening rate rose to 84.1 percent. The city also carried out hearing screening for more than 193,390 cases, thalassemia screening for 7,500 cases and congenital heart defect screening for almost 35,360 cases.

In the first half of 2019, the local sex ratio at birth was brought down to 112.8 males per 100 females, the prenatal screening rate reached 78.08 percent, and the newborn screening increased to 85.12 percent.

Hanh said Hanoi has also expanded many population-related models like those caring for reproductive health of adolescents and youth, and those providing premarital advice and medical examination. 

Relevant agencies and organisations have also worked to popularise knowledge about reproductive health, family planning and gender equality to workers in industrial parks and women of reproductive age, he added. -VNA