Deputy Health Minister requests improvement of population quality

Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Viet
Tien requested the improvement of and healthcare for the elderly during a conference in Hanoi on
January 18 to launch its 2019 tasks regarding population and family planning.

He also asked for maintaining the birth rate and limiting the
increase in sex ratio at birth.

Last year saw the first year of implementation for
Resolution No.21-NQ/TW dated October 25, 2017 adopted by the sixth conference
of the 12th Party Central Committee on population work in the new situation.

Speaking at the event, Deputy General Director of the General
Office for Population and Family Planning Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan said the
nationwide population hit 94.67 million in 2018, 1 million higher than 2017.
The total number of new-born babies reached 1.38 million. The rate of married
couples adopting contraceptive methods hit 66.5 percent, lower than the target
of 67.4 percent.

Regarding population demographics, the sex ratio at birth
hit a record with 115.1 boys to 100 girls, up three percentage points from 2017
and falling short of the targeted 112.8 boys to 100 girls.

Ninety-four percent of the elderly were covered by health
insurance, compared to the targeted 100 percent. Meanwhile, only 10.3 percent
of senior citizens underwent health checkups at least once per year.

According to Lan, expenses for the communications campaign
on population were reduced last year, thus affecting results.

In 2019, the sector has set the targets of having a 95.7
million population, a 1.06 percent population growth, the average life expectancy
of 73.6 years and the sex ratio at birth at 114 boys to 100 girls.

The rate of modern contraceptive method adoption should
reach 68 percent, while the increase in gender ratio at birth will hit 0.4
percentage point. Meanwhile, the rate of pre-natal testing among pregnant women
will hit 45 percent and the rate of unwanted pregnancies among young people
will fall by 15 percent. All elderly people will be covered by health
insurance.

The sector suggested that the Government should ask the
Ministry of Finance to amend regulations ensuring the funding of 50,000 VND
(2.1 USD) per person per year towards population work and allowing the import
of contraceptive tools which are not domestically-produced and without
representative offices in Vietnam. –VNA