Strengthening population communication work

Identifying the important role of communication in changing behavior and raising awareness of population issues, in recent times, the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning (DS-KHHGĐ) has innovated the content of propaganda and mobilization, effectively coordinated with departments, branches and organizations to implement. Thanks to that, population work in the province has achieved positive results, gradually raising people's awareness, contributing to sustainable socio-economic development.

Population officers and collaborators of Thuy Lieu commune, Cam Khe district share and provide information on reproductive health care/family planning services to local couples.

“Extended arm” from the base

Playing an important role in population communication activities in the community, the population collaborators are the ones who directly propagate population policies as well as population communication activities - reproductive health care to the people. Having the advantage of living right in the community, population collaborators clearly understand the needs and characteristics of each subject to choose the appropriate way to exchange and convey the content about population/reproductive health/family planning.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong Thu - Population Collaborator of Zone 7, Trung Vuong Commune, Viet Tri City said: "In addition to distributing documents, leaflets, and propaganda integrated into meetings in residential areas and group activities, I also propagate to households, pay attention to the health care of the elderly; advise young couples to use modern contraceptive methods, conduct prenatal and newborn health screening; propagate and advise minors to go for premarital health check-ups...".

For more than 20 years working as a population collaborator in Xom Trong area, Thuy Lieu commune, Cam Khe district, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu has become accustomed to "going to every alley, knocking on every door, checking every subject" to propagate and mobilize women to practice modern contraceptive methods.

Ms. Thu happily said: Xom Trong currently has 166 households with 629 people, of which 145 are women of childbearing age. To do a good job of population work, I learn about the circumstances of each family, implement the motto "slow and steady wins the race", take advantage of going to the market, women's association activities... to communicate some content about population as well as modern and safe contraceptive methods to ensure personal health, maintain family happiness; communicate about gender equality, the benefits of prenatal and newborn screening, community-based health care for the elderly...

Communication about population work is done with all the heart, love and skill so that not only women but also men understand and have the responsibility to carry out population work.

According to Mr. Nguyen Viet Phuong - Head of the Provincial Department of Population and Family Planning, the province currently has 3,114 population collaborators, of which 1,878 collaborators are also village health workers. Districts with a large number of population collaborators include Ha Hoa with 354 collaborators, Cam Khe with 342 collaborators, Thanh Son with 296 collaborators, Viet Tri with 275 collaborators... They are considered as the "extended arm" of the population sector, the focal point to help functional agencies regularly update information on population at the grassroots level, promptly convey the Party and State's policies and guidelines on population work. They do not hesitate to face difficulties and hardships to go to each family to propagate, change awareness and behavior on population/reproductive health/family planning to the people.

Population officers of Thuy Van commune, Viet Tri city distribute leaflets to young people coming for examination and consultation on premarital health care.

Strengthen communication work

Yen Tap Commune, Cam Khe District is a Catholic commune with a population of 4,872 people, of which 741 are women of childbearing age, the rate of couples using contraceptives is over 71%. Currently, Yen Tap Commune has 10 population collaborators in 7 residential areas, of which 2 are in charge of the Catholic Executive Committee, so the implementation of population work in the commune is always widely and smoothly implemented.

Ms. Phan Thi Anh - a population officer of Yen Tap commune said: During each population communication campaign, integrating reproductive health care/family planning services, the team of collaborators in residential areas are always close to the area, regardless of the weather, going to each house to propagate and mobilize beneficiaries to come to medical facilities for consultation, examination, reproductive health care, family marriage, health of the elderly...

Since the beginning of 2024, the Department of Population - Health Education Communication, Viet Tri City Medical Center has organized and implemented population programs - health education communication, adolescent health care consultation, pre-marital health, integrated communication campaigns with service provision, health communication, and health care for the elderly.

In particular, the Spring population campaign, the campaign to strengthen communication and integration of providing reproductive health/family planning services in 9/22 wards and communes with 400 people examined; organizing the launching ceremony of the communication campaign integrating providing reproductive health/family planning services in Trung Vuong commune with more than 100 participants; organizing communication, counseling, and pre-marital health examinations in 5 wards and communes: Kim Duc, Thuy Van, Van Co, Gia Cam, Duu Lau with nearly 200 people receiving counseling and health examinations; organizing 14 communication conferences on reproductive health care for adolescents and young people at schools...

In addition, the Medical Center also coordinated with the City Labor Federation to organize propaganda for 500 workers at Vinh Phu Shoe Company, Hung Vuong Garment Company on knowledge about reproductive health/family planning and population policies; organized 16 medical communication sessions with 550 listeners provided with information on non-communicable diseases in 22 wards and communes.

Ms. Ha Thi Quynh Lam - Head of Population - Health Education Communication Department, Viet Tri City Medical Center said: To improve the quality of population communication, the Department continues to implement programs and projects to improve population quality; pay attention to and improve the capacity and quality of activities of officers and collaborators working on population, ensure good implementation of propaganda work, diversify communication forms such as: Direct communication, indirect communication, communication on social networks... to bring reproductive health/family planning services to the people.

Thanks to promoting communication right from the grassroots, people's awareness and behavior have gradually changed, and the results of implementing population targets have been significantly improved. Communication has reached every house, every village, and hamlet according to the motto "slow and steady wins the race", contributing to changing awareness, action and voluntary implementation. The initiative, flexibility, and innovation in both content and communication methods to suit the requirements in the new situation have been implemented synchronously and effectively.

The content and communication messages do not only focus on family planning but also extend to other contents such as: prenatal and newborn screening, pre-marital health counseling... to improve population quality. In addition to traditional communication methods, other contents and programs on socio-economics in the area are also integrated.

Linh Nguyen

Source: https://baophutho.vn/day-manh-cong-tac-truyen-thong-dan-so-215663.htm