Illustrative image. (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – People from Hanoi have Vietnam’slongest life expectancy, estimated at more than 75 years old, 1.6 years higherthan the national average, according to the Hanoi Population and FamilyPlanning branch.
The branch unveiled the information at a conference held onDecember 25 to review the city’s performance in population – family planningand disease prevention in 2018 and chalk out plans for the next year. The eventwas chaired by Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Ngo Van Quy.
This year, Hanoi reported declines in birth rate and thenumber of third children and an increase in the rate of babies and pregnantwomen getting prenatal and newborn screening. The city’s sex ratio at birthdropped from 114 boys per 100 girls in 2017 to 113 boys per 100 girls in 2018,the branch reported.
The Hanoi Department of Health announced there were no casesof dangerous communicable diseases in the city this year while the number ofdengue fever infections plunged nearly 90 percent from last year. In 2018, morethan 2,100 people contracted hand-foot-and-mouth disease, 78 suffered fromwhooping-cough, 13 were infected with streptococcussuis and 10 with Japanese encephalitis but no fatalities wasrecorded.
In his remarks at the conference, Vice Chairman of the HanoiPeople’s Committee Ngo Van Quy outlined some major problems in local diseaseprevention, including poor disease early warning and communication systems. Hewas also concerned over the fact that many parents of infants are abandoningvaccines or delay vaccination.
Quy urged the health sector to tackle these issues in 2019.–VNA
VNA
