The gender imbalance among newborns in Vietnam in the first half of this year has been significantly narrowed with 110.9 boys born per 100 girls, according to the General Office for Population and Family Planning (GOPFP).

In the same period last year, the figure was 115 boys born per 100 girls.

At a seminar held in the northern midland province of Phu Tho on July 22-23, the GOPFP reported that during January-June the rate of newborn screening increased by more than 10 percent year on year and the rate of newborns dropped by 6.2 percent.

Family planning and population-targeted communication activities have been carried out intensively and extensively to raise public awareness of the issue, especially among young people at the child-bearing age, the seminar was heard.

For the second half, the population and family planning sector is striving to reduce the birth rate by an additional 0.1 percent.

Delegates participating in the seminar were from 27 cities and provinces nationwide.-VNA