Infant care at the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Photo: VNA)
Vinh Phuc (VNA) – The unbalanced sex ratio at birth is expanding quickly,
particularly in the Red River Delta, stressed Deputy Health Minister Nguyen
Viet Tien.
He raised
the alarm at a conference held in the northern province of Vinh Phuc on May 23
to review outcomes of a project on controlling the imbalance for 2016 – 2025.
The main
reason behind the problem is the deeply-rooted , the Deputy
Minister said, adding that the situation is made more complicated by the easier
access to affordable and technology that allows
couples to pursue their desire for one or more sons. To date, there are yet any
sanctions imposed to deter the practice.
According
to the General Office for Population and Family Planning (GOPFP), after one
year of implementation, 38 provinces and cities have included criteria on
controlling the imbalance of sex ratio at birth in their socio-economic
development plan, while 26 others have allocated part of the local budget to
finance the project.
During the
period, the GOPFP has organised more than 20,000 seminars, workshops and
conferences on the subject, disseminating knowledge about the population law to
nearly 700,000 people.
The agency
also carried out 3,667 inspections targeting medical facilities offering
ultrasound scans and abortion services.
However,
the outcome left little to be optimistic. In 2014, 15 out of 63 provinces and
cities nationwide reported the ratio of 115 male births to 100 female births.
The number decreased to 13 in 2015 before rising to 22 last year.
The GOPFP explained
that in 2016, the project’s agenda mostly focused on guiding localities in
drafting out plans of actions. Funding was not distributed until October, thus
a number of activities could not be carried out.
Participating
experts from the EU and UN Population Fund and Republic of Korea shared their
experience on measures to reduce at birth in the world,
suggesting some advice for Vietnam.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
