Population – a great challenge to sustainable development

Vietnam’s population will continue to grow considerably in coming years and without strong determination and joint efforts by agencies and localities, the country will find it hard to maintain population of between 115-120 million in the middle of the 21st century.

The message was released at a meeting in Hanoi on July 10 to mark the World Population Day (July 11) under the theme of Young People.

Addressing the meeting, Le Thi Hoai Thu, Minister and Chairwoman of the National Committee on Population, Family and Children (VCPFC) said as a UN member, Vietnam has joined the 1994 Cairo Plan of Action on Population and Development, the 1995 Beijing Plan of Action on Women, and the UN Declaration on Millennium Development Goals.

“The Vietnamese State has made all-out efforts to implement these plans of actions for the sake of harmonious and sustainable development, contributing to building an equitable, progressive and better world for all,” said Ms Thu.

She noted that the Vietnamese State always pays special attention to educating and nurturing the great potential of young people in national construction and development.

“In the current context of globalisation and development of the knowledge-based economy, Ms Thu said young people are the key force behind the success of national industrialisation and modernisation,” said Ms Thu.

Speaking at the event, representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ian Howie in Vietnam said: “Today’s youth represent a generation that has never known a world without HIV/AIDS. Globally, half of all new HIV infections occur among young people, with 6,000 young people aged 15-24 infected everyday. Infections are increasing fastest among young women.”

Mr Howie noted that Vietnamese young people are well aware of HIV/AIDS, but many have misconceptions or incorrect ‘knowledge’ about how the disease is transmitted.

In Vietnam, 65 percent of all new HIV cases more than the global average are young people aged 15-29 (RHIYA’s Baseline Survey). This issue needs to be addressed quickly - not only by young people themselves, but also by Vietnamese leaders – to ensure that young women and men of today become strong leaders of tomorrow, he said.

Mr Howie also quoted the Ministry of Health as saying that about one in five of all abortions nationwide are performed on teenagers. He said: “The stigma that is still affiliated with unmarried pregnant girls and women puts their health at risk and reduces the number of real options they have. It is important for boys and young women to share the responsibilities of being sexually active and planning a family.”

In its socio-economic development strategy for each period, Vietnam always focuses on the human factor, considering it a driving force behind the development, while combining economic growth with social progress and equality, cultural development and environmental protection.

However, VCPFC chairwoman Thu affirmed that Vietnam is still a poor developing country with low annual level of GDP per capita. In coming years, besides economic growth, population is likely to increase remarkably although it remains at a low level. Population still poses a great challenge for the country’s sustainable development.

According to VCPFC’s report, Vietnam almost reached the replacement-level fertility in the 2001-2005 period, but the country still has to face certain difficulties in achieving population goals in the 2006-2010 period. If Vietnam does not have strong determination in implementing the national population and family planning strategy, it will be very difficult for the country to stabilise population scale of 115-120 million in the middle of the 21^st century.

In the next five-year period, Vietnam aims to reduce the average birthrate to 0.025 percent annually so that total population can be estimated at around 89 million by 2010.

Đăng ẩn

Tắt

Politics

Economy

Society

Culture

Travel

Sports

Photos

Your Vietnam