Illustrative image (Source: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Population and Family Planning held ameeting on July 7 in celebration of World Population Day (July 11).
The departmenttook this occasion to announce the city’s population and reproductive health strategyfor the 2016-2020 period, with increasing engagements of organisations andindividuals in population and planning policies.
It called forsupport from organisations and individuals in holding communications activitiesand training personnel, especially for 12,000 collaborators in communes, wardsand residential areas.
As part of themeeting, the department signed a cooperation memorandum of understanding with ThaiNakorn Patana Company Limited, under which the latter will provide affordable contraceptivepills for local residents.
Lauded theefforts made by the local health body, Vo Thanh Dong, Deputy General Director ofthe General Office for Population and Family Planning, requested it to boostthe quality of reproductive health in rural and mountainous areas and workharder to reduce abortion rate.
In the 2011-2015 period, Ho Chi Minh City recorded the birth ratio of 106/107 boys to 100girls, with 70 percent of pregnant women taking screening tests. However, thecity is facing a risk of gender imbalance, as the number of districts withimbalanced sex ratios increased from two in 2015 to five in 2016.-VNA
VNA
