Despite the economic crisis, the Health Ministry has pledged not to cut back on investment in women, for the sake of their health, their children’s health, and that of the entire population.
Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Ba Thuy made this statement at a July 2 press briefing on local activities in response to World Population Day 2009 (July 11).
According to statistics, the average maternal mortality rate in 2008 was 75 deaths per 100,000 live births, and even higher in remote and mountainous areas. To achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on maternal health, Vietnam has set a target of reducing this ratio to 60/100,000 by 2010 in its 2006-2010 socio-economic development plan, said the health official. He added that by 2015, the rate will be reduced by three quarters in fulfilment of MDG commitments.
Over the years, thanks to the implementation of important social policies in family planning, the norm of a small-sized family has become more and more widely accepted, and the average number of children per woman of child-bearing age has reached the replacement level of fertility, helping to lift the pressure of population growth on socio-economic development.
However, Vietnam is confronting huge challenges in maintaining these achievements, Deputy Minister Thuy said, citing the increased maternal mortality rate, especially in remote and disadvantaged areas in recent time.
Adding to this is a large population size, about 86.5 million people, making Vietnam the 13 th most populous country in the world; an unstable decline in birth rates; a high population density, at 257 people/sq.km, six times the world average; and an imbalance in the sex ratio at birth--112 males/100 females.
Even after steady improvement, the country’s human development index (HDI) is still at a low level, at 0.733 points, ranking 105/177 countries in the world. A number of factors compound the problem: high rate of malnutrition, high risk for epidemics, particularly reproductive tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS infections.
Last but not least, the traditional mind-set of having a large family, and that a son is a must to continue the blood line is still common place, he said.
A representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Bruce Campbell, praised Vietnam ’s progress in reproductive health and family planning, which, he said, is attributable to the joint efforts of the Government and development partners. He added that the free health care policy for children under the age of six demonstrated the Vietnamese Government’s strong commitment to improving child and maternal health.
This year’s World Population Day is themed “Responding to the Economic Crisis: Investing in Women’s Health is a Smart Choice.” In this spirit, Campbell cautioned Vietnam not to reduce health investment as it would then take longer and require more resources to get back to the pre-crisis level of health standards./.
Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Ba Thuy made this statement at a July 2 press briefing on local activities in response to World Population Day 2009 (July 11).
According to statistics, the average maternal mortality rate in 2008 was 75 deaths per 100,000 live births, and even higher in remote and mountainous areas. To achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on maternal health, Vietnam has set a target of reducing this ratio to 60/100,000 by 2010 in its 2006-2010 socio-economic development plan, said the health official. He added that by 2015, the rate will be reduced by three quarters in fulfilment of MDG commitments.
Over the years, thanks to the implementation of important social policies in family planning, the norm of a small-sized family has become more and more widely accepted, and the average number of children per woman of child-bearing age has reached the replacement level of fertility, helping to lift the pressure of population growth on socio-economic development.
However, Vietnam is confronting huge challenges in maintaining these achievements, Deputy Minister Thuy said, citing the increased maternal mortality rate, especially in remote and disadvantaged areas in recent time.
Adding to this is a large population size, about 86.5 million people, making Vietnam the 13 th most populous country in the world; an unstable decline in birth rates; a high population density, at 257 people/sq.km, six times the world average; and an imbalance in the sex ratio at birth--112 males/100 females.
Even after steady improvement, the country’s human development index (HDI) is still at a low level, at 0.733 points, ranking 105/177 countries in the world. A number of factors compound the problem: high rate of malnutrition, high risk for epidemics, particularly reproductive tract infections, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS infections.
Last but not least, the traditional mind-set of having a large family, and that a son is a must to continue the blood line is still common place, he said.
A representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Bruce Campbell, praised Vietnam ’s progress in reproductive health and family planning, which, he said, is attributable to the joint efforts of the Government and development partners. He added that the free health care policy for children under the age of six demonstrated the Vietnamese Government’s strong commitment to improving child and maternal health.
This year’s World Population Day is themed “Responding to the Economic Crisis: Investing in Women’s Health is a Smart Choice.” In this spirit, Campbell cautioned Vietnam not to reduce health investment as it would then take longer and require more resources to get back to the pre-crisis level of health standards./.
