The proposal was made by the Ministry of Health in the Draft Population Law, as Vietnam is facing many dual challenges in this work, especially the issue of birth reduction.
Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan recently said that the total fertility rate (birth rate) nationwide is currently at its lowest level in history. 2024 is the third consecutive year that the birth rate has fallen below the replacement level (2.1 children), currently at only 1.91 children per woman. This birth rate is forecast to continue to decline.
"If the birth rate continues to decrease, by 2039 Vietnam will end its 'golden population period', the working-age population will peak in 2042 and after 2054 the population will begin to grow negatively," said the Ministry of Health.
In addition, the gender imbalance at birth has been high for nearly 20 years, becoming a "hot" challenge. In 2024, it was 111.4 boys/100 girls. It is forecasted that if this situation remains the same, Vietnam will have a surplus of 1.5 million men aged 15-49 by 2039 and increase to 2.5 million by 2059.
That will lead to the risk of breaking down the family structure, a part of men will have to marry late, not be able to marry, increase the situation of trafficking of women, girls, prostitution, gender violence, transnational crime...
Propose many breakthrough policies
To prevent these situations, the Ministry of Health has proposed many specific measures with a total budget of more than VND 5,360 billion. These include cash or in-kind support when women give birth, give birth to 2 children, give birth to 2 children before the age of 35; living expenses support; support for food costs for children in preschool or exemption or reduction of regular pregnancy check-ups.
The Ministry of Health estimates that the amount of cash or in-kind support for women who give birth to two children before the age of 35 will be about 650 billion VND; Financial incentives in cash or in-kind support for families who only have two daughters will be more than 151 billion VND.
According to the Ministry of Health, support for replacement fertility measures aims to help women have more time off to take care of their children, men support their families, reduce costs during pregnancy and childbirth, and encourage having two children, especially having two children before the age of 35.
This agency assessed that these measures could prevent deep and prolonged decline, maintain replacement fertility, prevent labor recession, population recession, and economic growth decline.
In addition, according to calculations, the cost for two solutions to improve population quality including pre-marital health examination consultation and prenatal and neonatal screening, diagnosis, and treatment is more than 3,000 billion VND.
In addition to financial support, it is necessary to change young people's perception of having children.
Low fertility is not only a story of Vietnam but also happens in many countries. In fact, no country has succeeded in raising the fertility rate to replacement level after it has decreased significantly despite applying many economic measures.
Sharing with reporters, Professor Giang Thanh Long, senior lecturer at the School of Economics and Public Administration, National Economics University (Hanoi), acknowledged that encouraging births cannot be done by urging or calling for children, but must be done indirectly through solutions to improve living conditions, the quality of health services, education and development opportunities over the long journey of human life.
Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu, an expert on population and development, said that in addition to a variety of practical support policies such as cost support, personal income tax reduction, exemption from community contributions for couples raising young children, subsidies for the elderly... it is necessary to change social awareness about having children among young people.
According to him, it is necessary to orient young people to look further and more deeply at the value of family and having children instead of immediate benefits or worries.
"In addition to social security, family security is very important. That's why I often say 'take care of your old age from a young age'. Moreover, having children gives us the motivation to do business, and to experience the range of emotions, love, and responsibility," Professor Nguyen Dinh Cu shared.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/bo-y-te-de-xuat-chi-650-ty-dong-ho-tro-phu-nu-sinh-du-2-con-truoc-35-tuoi-post648847.html
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