Issues raised for population work in An Giang

Population policy propaganda in Dinh My commune. Photo: HANH CHAU

Population status of the province

Four major issues regarding the province's population situation are also challenges that require special attention from the functional sectors from the province to the grassroots level, according to the analysis of Director of the Department of Health Tran Quang Hien. First of all, the low birth rate is below the replacement level. According to the General Statistics Office, the total fertility rate of the province after the merger is 1.74 children/woman, belonging to the group of 13 provinces with low birth rates below the replacement level. Next is the gender imbalance at birth. In 2024, the province's sex ratio at birth is 108.13 boys/100 girls, although lower than the national average, it has not yet reached the natural balance (103-107 boys/100 girls).

Meanwhile, the province's work to control gender imbalance at birth has encountered a number of difficulties and problems, such as gender prejudices that have not been thoroughly resolved; the desire to have a son to continue the family line still exists in some families; the abuse of scientific and technological achievements in early determination of fetal gender; and law enforcement and sanctions against the act of choosing fetal gender are not strong enough or deterrent enough.

“In particular, despite its large population, the province is facing an aging population. Currently, the province has more than 515,000 elderly people (aged 60 and over), accounting for more than 10% of the population. If we do not have major policies and timely adaptation solutions from now on, the population will age very quickly. This will lead to challenges for socio -economic development, especially the risk of labor shortages, health care for the elderly, the health system, social security, and economic stagnation,” analyzed Director of the Department of Health Tran Quang Hien.

In addition, the quality of the population is still limited and needs to be improved. The average life expectancy has increased but the number of healthy years is still low, the elderly face the burden of "double illness" and often suffer from chronic diseases (on average, each elderly person has 3 diseases). The rate of congenital malformations in fetuses is still quite high; the stature and physical strength of Vietnamese people are slow to improve.

Mr. Hien analyzed: “Limited population quality causes negative impacts on socio-economic development. The most worrying thing is the decline in labor productivity, increasing health care and social welfare costs. At the same time, with a low birth rate below the replacement level, if there are no synchronous and effective solutions, the province's birth rate will continue to decrease. When the birth rate drops below 1.5 children/woman, it is very difficult to increase the birth rate to reach the replacement level in the future. This leads to many consequences, affecting the human resources for socio-economic development of the province.

Need many synchronized solutions

In the coming time, the province will effectively carry out population work; in which, it will pay attention to population size, population structure, population quality, linking population and development. Continue to promote propaganda, mobilization, raise awareness, change behavior for cadres, party members and people about population work. Review, propose amendments and supplements to regulations and policies on population work, aiming to achieve replacement fertility. Control the imbalance of gender at birth, to soon bring it back to natural balance.

At the same time, increase the number of children to maintain the golden population, extend the golden population window for at least 30 more years to develop the country. At the same time, improve the quality of providing health care services for the elderly to increase average life expectancy, increase the number of healthy years, ensure adaptation to population aging and improve the quality of the province's population.

Director of the Department of Health Tran Quang Hien said: The province promotes the socialization of population services; improves the capacity of staff working in population work, especially at the grassroots level; applies digital transformation, information technology, and artificial intelligence in population policy management and administration.

“In order for the Party's policies and the State's laws on population to reach the people, the Health sector recommends that the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee continue to direct departments, branches, sectors, organizations, and local authorities to pay more attention to population work. Continue to promote population work with communication messages such as raising the birth rate; working with the health sector to improve the quality and population; make the golden population period of An Giang province after the merger the largest in the country, with the greatest potential and strength in the country, becoming a key and important driving force to promote local socio-economic development in the coming time, contributing to the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress...

HANH CHAU