New-born babies at Tu Du Hospital in HCM City (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) - Vietnam’s fertility rate has declined from 6.4 to 2.1 children perwoman over the last 55 years, but the rate varies widely among provinces,according to the General Department of Population and Family Planning.
The rate in HCM City is1.45, while the southeastern province of Binh Duong has a rate of 1.7.
The Central Highlandsprovince of Kon Tum has a fertility rate of 3.45 and the northern province ofHa Giang 3.08, according to Le Canh Nhac, the department’s deputy head.
Nhac spoke at a meetingin HCM City on December 16 to celebrate 55 years of the national population andfamily planning programme.
Nhac called the lowfertility rate of HCM City “alarming”, saying that families in the city shouldbe encouraged to have two children.
“This low rate will notensure human resources in the future, and will reduce the so-called goldenpopulation and add to the aging population. This will influence the city’ssocio-economic development,” he added.
On the other hand,provinces with a fertility rate higher than the country’s average of 2.1 shouldreduce the number of children born to each family, he said.
Nhac said the countrystill faced sex imbalances at birth.
In the first 11 monthsof the year, the ratio nationwide was 109 boys per 100 girls, while the ratioin the same period last year was 112 boys per 100 girls.
Of the provinces andcities in the country, HCM City performed the best, with a ratio of 103-106boys per 100 girls.
More services forpre-natal and newborn screening will be expanded throughout the country toimprove the health of the population, Nhac said.
Nguyen Huu Hung, deputyhead of HCM City’s Department of Health, said the planning, which was designedby HCM City authorities, was prompted by the large number of migrants who moveto the city.-VNA
VNA
