United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative Matt Jackson. (Photo: PH)

Statistics are more than just numbers

2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) – a landmark agreement of 179 countries including Vietnam, placing gender equality, women's empowerment and human rights at the heart of development.

The UNFPA Representative said that 30 years ago, when leaders agreed to implement the ICPD Programme of Action, many people around the world were not seen. Their lives and experiences were not recorded in any data. They were not recognized and their voices were not heard.

“However, improvements in technology and data collection and analysis over the past 30 years mean we can measure access to sexual and reproductive health services better than ever before. We can see who is benefiting from progress and which groups are being left behind,” said Matt Jackson.

According to Matt Jackson, the progress that has been made and the work that remains is guided by comprehensive and reliable population data, which shows that across the globe, many communities find themselves trapped in various forms of marginalization and discrimination.

Data also show that significant progress has been made globally in reducing maternal mortality, supporting access to contraception, and moving towards gender equality, but progress has been uneven.

“It is these people – the hardest to reach and the ones left behind – who need our attention the most,” said Matt Jackson.

According to the UNFPA Representative, statistics are not just numbers, they are human stories. Statistics tell about our health, well-being, problems, efforts and socio-economic circumstances. When analyzed, data shows which policies are appropriate or which policies need to be adjusted accordingly.

“In Dong Phu commune, Dong Son district, Thanh Hoa province, I met Ms. Le Thi Hoa, a home care volunteer who shared her story of supporting the elderly in the community. Ms. Hoa was trained through the UNFPA-sponsored Intergenerational Self-Help Club,” said Mr. Matt Jackson.

She has learned how to bathe and care for people who are unable to care for themselves, and how to dress people who are paralyzed. She plans to continue helping the elderly in her community for as long as she can."

Or the story of Hnhach, a Ba Na woman in Ɖe Ar commune, Gia Lai province, who shared with UNFPA the important role of village midwives in providing information and health care, ensuring nutrition and the benefits of hospital births for people in the community.

In Lai Chau province, Matt Jackson visited a Mong ethnic minority village in Mu Sang commune, where he heard stories about why people were reluctant to give birth in medical facilities. It could be because of the distance from home to the hospital or because of local customs against giving birth in front of strangers.

These stories show the importance of reliable and comprehensive population data for Vietnam's future, the UNFPA representative stressed.

Accordingly, data disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, age, location and other factors is essential to leave no one behind and best prepare for demographic changes such as Vietnam's rapidly aging population or risks from climate change.

The data shows us where the health system is failing people, highlighting shortages of skilled midwives or barriers to accessing contraception, leading to still high rates of unintended pregnancies. It also measures the prevalence of violence against women and children and gives voice to Vietnam’s rapidly growing ageing population.

Minister - Chairman of the Ethnic Minorities Committee Hau A Lenh (7th from right); UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Matt Jackson (5th from right), Director General of the General Statistics Office Nguyen Thi Huong (6th from right) participated in the investigation and collected information from a household in Da Bac district, Hoa Binh province. (Photo: PN)

Data tells lives and gives hope

Mr. Matt Jackson said that recently, the General Statistics Office and the United Nations Population Fund have launched two important national surveys to improve Vietnam's population and housing data and better understand the socio-economic needs of the 53 ethnic minorities. Better data helps create policies and strategies that best meet the needs of the people. Data also tells us more about their lives, hopes and expectations.

The good news is that, thanks to investment, new laws and strong advocacy over the past 30 years, the global maternal mortality rate has fallen by 34%. Vietnam has made even better progress, reducing its maternal mortality rate by 46%, but the rate is still three times higher among ethnic minority groups than the national average.

“Positive, reassuring messages from village midwives like Hnhach play a vital role in reducing the high mortality rates among ethnic minority mothers. Data also tells us that while 96% of babies born in hospitals in Vietnam have access to medical care and equipment, this figure is only 30% for ethnic minority mothers, highlighting the huge disparities in access to health care,” said Matt Jackson.

Globally, the number of women using modern contraception has doubled to 77%, but more than 250 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are still not using family planning methods. In Vietnam, the contraceptive prevalence rate is 60%, with the unmet need for contraception among unmarried women being four times higher than that of married women.

162 countries including Vietnam have passed anti-violence laws and for Vietnam, the Law on Prevention and Control of Domestic Violence was amended and passed in 2022. However, globally, 1 in 3 women, or in Vietnam, nearly 2 in 3 women, experience intimate partner violence during their lifetime and most of them never seek help.

Matt Jackson said that data provides the highs and lows, the progress made and the unfinished business to achieve the commitments of the ICPD and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. But it is the stories of people like Ms. Hoa from Thanh Hoa and Ms. Hnhach from Gia Lai that make the numbers meaningful. Data also guides the focus of our efforts.

For Viet Nam, according to UNFPA Representative Matt Jackson, these efforts include: reaching ethnic minority groups with maternal health care, ensuring that unmarried people and young people have access to contraception, improving services to support survivors of violence and breaking the stigma around domestic violence, and better listening and supporting people with disabilities, the LGBTQI+ community, older people, migrants and all marginalized groups.

Positive improvements in technology and data analytics allow us to better understand successes and identify populations that are being missed or left behind.

“When we prioritize and listen to comprehensive, disaggregated data, we can be confident that all of our actions will ensure everyone is included. We will also be able to reach out to those left behind with the hope of a just future,” said Matt Jackson.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the CPD Programme, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Matt Jackson wants to send a message: Let's commit to leveraging reliable data to address Vietnam's demographic changes and social challenges, striving for a future where every voice is heard and every life is valued.