Shifting the focus of population policy from family planning to population and development

Updated date: 06/29/2024 08:43:04

DTO - There is a close relationship between population and development, both binding, supporting and promoting each other. To understand this issue clearly, Dong Thap Newspaper reporter interviewed Mr. Le Van Hung - Deputy Head of the Provincial Department of Population - Family Planning.

Reporter: Could you tell us what is the relationship between "Population and Development"?

Mr. Le Van Hung: “Population and development” is a term that refers to the two-way relationship between population on one side and development on the other. In other words, it is the impact of population on development and vice versa, the impact of development on population. Talking about population means talking about the size, structure, distribution, quality and factors that cause population fluctuations such as: birth, death and migration. The measure of the level or indicators reflecting these factors can be called “population variables”. Therefore, population is often studied both in a static state (at a point in time) and in a dynamic state (over a period of time).

Development is a broad concept, referring to all human activities aimed at promoting society to progress in both material and spiritual life, this concept has a gradual process of completion. Development is understood as economic growth, social progress, environmental sustainability and is more specifically understood as related to meeting basic human needs. It is the process of gradually reducing and eventually eliminating hunger, disease, illiteracy, unsanitary conditions, unemployment and inequality.

Furthermore, reproduction, mortality and migration are also related to all other factors of the development process such as: health, education, gender equality, environment... Indeed, marriage, birth control, choosing to have a son or a daughter, fighting against disease and death... are all conscious activities, requiring knowledge and are activities unique to humans. Therefore, the higher the gender equality, knowledgeable education, advanced science and technology... (ie factors of development), the broader human knowledge will be, the more reasonable human perception will become, the more impact it will have on the above-mentioned population processes and that is the organic relationship between population and development.

Reporter: Could you please tell us why the focus of population policy has been shifted from family planning to "Population and development"?

Mr. Le Van Hung: Due to early recognition of the negative impacts of rapid population growth, since the early 1960s, our Party and State have issued a population policy with the goal of rapidly reducing the birth rate, so all efforts have focused on the population policy - family planning (FP) and together with socio-economic development, the persistence and promotion of the implementation of the FP sector by the entire political system and society, our country's birth rate has decreased rapidly, now reaching a low level. If in the years 1965 - 1969, the average number of children per woman was 6.8 children/woman, by 2005 it was only 2.1 children/woman and has been maintained until now. Conclusion No. 119-KL/TW of the Secretariat affirmed: "Our country has soon achieved and firmly maintained the replacement fertility level" (the generation of children born is just enough to "replace" their parents in the reproductive process).

Obviously, when the goal of reducing birth rate has been firmly achieved, it is inappropriate to maintain the focus of population policy on family planning and concentrate resources on the solved problem. Prominent and newly arising population issues in the current period such as: "golden population structure", "aging population", "gender imbalance at birth", "migration and population accumulation", "low population quality" have been and are requiring to be resolved in order to seize opportunities, overcome challenges, and contribute to the sustainable development of the country. This also means that a new population policy is needed, suitable for the new population situation. That is to shift the focus of population policy from family planning to population and development.

This shift in focus aims to "comprehensively resolve population issues in terms of size, structure, distribution and improving population quality", with 6 contents clearly stated in Conclusion 119-KL/TW of the Secretariat: Maintaining replacement fertility; minimizing gender imbalance at birth; taking advantage of the golden population structure; adapting to the aging process of the population; adjusting population distribution appropriately; improving population quality. The shift in focus to family planning is carried out in a new way. At the same time, promote communication, education and advocacy on population and development, taking into account population factors in the development planning process.

Reporter: In Dong Thap province, how is the replacement fertility rate maintained?

Mr. Le Van Hung: Since the beginning of 2024, the health sector has proactively continued to implement Plan No. 216 dated June 7, 2023 of the Provincial People's Committee on implementing the Birth Rate Adjustment Program in the province until 2030. The general goal is to adjust and maintain the replacement birth rate, strive to increase birth rates in districts and cities with low birth rates, contributing to the successful implementation of the Vietnam Population Strategy in the province, ensuring rapid and sustainable development. The specific goal is to strive to increase the total birth rate by 10%, ensuring that each woman of childbearing age has at least 1.8 children on average by 2025 and 1.9 children per woman by 2030.

12/12 districts and cities have proactively advised the People's Committees at the same level to issue plans to implement the birth rate adjustment program until 2030. Thereby, Party committees and authorities at all levels have promoted their leadership and direction roles in organizing and disseminating, issuing documents to implement and develop tasks and solutions for communes, wards, and towns and cadres, party members, union members, and association members in the area, contributing to raising awareness and promoting the combined strength of all levels in efforts to resolve and improve low birth rates through solutions.

Specifically, strengthen the leadership of Party committees and authorities: Pay attention to implementing and thoroughly grasping the shift of focus from implementing population policy - family planning to population and development policy. Proactively develop a birth rate adjustment program, include birth rate adjustment targets in resolutions of People's Councils at all levels in accordance with the actual situation of each local unit. Focus on directing changes in viewpoints, awareness, and behavior regarding the propaganda message that each couple should have 2 children.

Strengthening propaganda and mobilizing behavior change: organizing in-depth and widespread propaganda of the contents of Action Program No. 60 dated February 8, 2018 of the Provincial Party Committee to implement Resolution No. 21 dated October 25, 2017 of the 12th Party Central Committee on population work in the new situation, Plan No. 360 dated December 21, 2021 of the Provincial People's Committee on the Plan to implement the Vietnam Population Strategy for the period 2021 - 2025 and vision to 2030 in the province to create consensus in society on shifting population policy from focusing on mobilizing birth reduction in the previous period to the goal of raising birth rates to achieve replacement birth rates and maintain replacement birth rates; focusing on mobilizing couples to have 2 children.

Adjusting and perfecting support and incentive policies: the health sector has been advising the Provincial People's Committee on a draft report assessing the impact of regulating a number of population policies in the province and a Resolution regulating reward and support policies for collectives and individuals who perform well in population work in the province to submit to the Provincial People's Council for consideration and approval of support and incentive policies for beneficiaries of the population program.

Expand access to and provision of population, reproductive health and family planning services: Organize the distribution of free contraceptives according to the prescribed subjects and ensure the process of distributing contraceptives from the provincial level to the grassroots level. Continue to maintain the implementation of the Social Marketing Program for contraceptives, with the results in 3 years of distribution and supply to subjects such as: condoms, contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices. Organize and implement activities according to Project No. 109 dated October 25, 2021 of the Department of Health on continuing to promote and expand the socialization of the provision of contraceptives and family planning and reproductive health services in the province for the period 2021 - 2025.

Reporter: Thank you very much!

PIANO (performed)

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/xa-hoi/chuyen-trong-tam-chinh-sach-dan-so-tu-ke-hoach-hoa-gia-dinh-sang-dan-so-va-phat-trien-123563.aspx