Hanoi (VNA) – More measures are set to be taken byHanoi authorities in the time ahead to improve the local population quality.

According to the municipal Department of Health,the city achieved the population and family planning targets set for 2018,including the birth rate reduced by 0.17 per mille from the previous year to15.13 per mille, the number of third children born down by 0.1 percent, and thesex ratio at birth down to 113 males per 100 females.

While the prenatal screening rate reached 76percent of the pregnant women, the newborn screening rate rose to 84.1 percent.Hanoi also carried out hearing screening for more than 193,390 cases,thalassemia screening for 7,500 cases and congenital heart defect screening foralmost 35,360 cases.

Head of the sub-department for population andfamily planning Ta Quang Huy noted that in the first half of 2019, about 49,380babies were born in Hanoi, up 2,786 from the same period last year. Among these,3,820 were at least the third child in their families, rising by 252. The sexratio at birth was 110.9 males per 100 females.

Meanwhile, the prenatal screening rateapproximated 81 percent of the pregnant women, and that for the newborn surpassed84 percent.

He said that Hanoi has stepped up communicationactivities and the provision of population-related services in all the 30district-level localities, involving 547 out of the 584 communes, wards andtownships.

Refresher courses have been held to improvepopulation workers’ knowledge about reproductive health care and familyplanning. Relevant units have also increased examining the management ofcontraceptive methods in all the district-level localities.

Additionally, a number of plans have beenimplemented to help promote population quality, including those on prenatal andnewborn screening, health care for the elderly, developing Hanoians’ strengthand stature, and engaging the private sector in the provision of birth controlmethods and family planning services.

However, there remain a number of difficultiesfacing the city, including high sex ratio at birth, partly due to the rapidpopulation growth. In many cases, cadres or civil servants who are familiarwith the State’s policies and laws are those giving birth to a third child, Huynoted.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department ofHealth Hoang Duc Hanh, who is also deputy head of Hanoi’s steering board forpopulation and family planning affairs, said the city has applied manypopulation-related models like those caring for reproductive health ofadolescents and youth, and those providing premarital consultation and medical check-ups. 

Relevant agencies and organisations have alsoworked to popularise knowledge about reproductive health, family planning andgender equality to workers in industrial parks and women of reproductive age.

In face of the existing difficulties, hestressed the need for more measures to be carried out to improve populationquality.

In 2019, the local health sector will work toreduce the birth rate by 0.1 per mille and the number of third children born by0.1 percent year on year. Meanwhile, it will also take actions to raise thenumber of old people receiving regular health check-ups by 0.6 percent.

Localities and relevant agencies will also stepup dissemination and consultation provision to boost public awareness ofpopulation quality and sex ratios at birth, especially among the groups withthe high risk of having a third child, the official noted.

Hanh added to help narrow down the gender gap atbirth, authorities have also been ordered to enhance inspection and examinationof private health facilities to ensure that they seriously comply with legalregulations on population, including not practicing prenatal sex selection.-VNA