Project 52 on population control in coastal areas: Effectively developed

After 10 years of the implementation of the Project 52 on population control on islands and in coastal areas, the population and family planning task in coastal communities in Cam Ranh City has improved, contributing to local socio-economic development.

 

Public awareness improved

 

In 2009, under the project 52 by the Prime Minister on population control in coastal areas, Cam Ranh City implemented the project 52 in 11 communes and wards, including Cam Linh, Cam Phu, Cam Nghia, Cam Thuan, Cam Phuc Bac, Cam Phuc Nam, Ba Ngoi, Cam Thinh Dong, Cam Lap, Cam Binh and Cam Loi. 

Tran Thi Tam, Chief of Cam Ranh City Department of Population & Family Planning says over the past years, the city has focused on the project 52 to improve the coastal population quality, reproductive health care, and family planning services.

 

 

 

Cam Thinh Dong is one of the communes effectively implementing the project. The commune has 6 villages with 2,146 households and 8,014 people, mostly living on fishing. Huynh Thi My Ha, a population official reports the project has helped raise public awareness of the importance of reproductive health care and family planning methods. Therefore, local women and their families have actively responded to the population tasks. The local public awareness has been improved. The number of families with more than 2 children has decreased to 6.91%. “Women have been provided with family planning counseling and reproductive health care at the commune medical station,” says Tran Thi Bay, My Thanh Village, Cam Thinh Dong Commune.

 

After 10 years of implementation of the project, the population and family planning task on islands and in coastal areas in Cam Ranh City has much improved. The number of families with more than 2 children has decreased to 7% and women using modern contraceptive methods have increased to over 80%. Last year, the city offered medical check-up and contraceptive devices to 11,251 people with gynaecological treatment provided for 1,949, intrauterine devices for 228 and contraceptive injection given to 78.

 

Propaganda boost required

 

Besides achievements, there remain some challenges concerning population management in marine fishing communities because of their regular fishing trips. Besides, they have a propensity for large families with preference towards sons, resulting in difficulties in balancing the sex ratio at birth and improving population quality.

 

To fulfill the target of the project, in the time to come, the Department of Population & Family Planning will continue developing activities integrated with the National Program on Population and Family Planning, focusing on remaining the logical low birth rate and the sex ratio at birth of 110 boys/ 100 girls; enhancing activities to improve population quality on islands and in coastal areas in the province; boosting propaganda for behavior change in health care in coastal communities, according to Tran Thi Tam.

 

Thanh Truc

Translated by N.T