Preparing the conditions for the implementation of the Population Law.

Photo caption — Hmong children in Moc Chau Plantation town, Son La province. (Illustrative photo: Nguyen Cuong/TTXVN)

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Health Do Xuan Tuyen stated that in 2025, population work will continue to receive special attention from the Party and the State with many important policies and guidelines being issued. The Politburo issued Conclusion No. 149-KL/TW on April 10, 2025, on promoting the implementation of Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW on population work in the new situation; the Government issued an Action Program to implement the Politburo's resolution and several policies to implement Resolution No. 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo. The National Assembly passed the Law on Population and the National Target Program on Health Care, Population and Development for the period 2026-2035, creating an important legal basis for the synchronized implementation of population policies in the coming time.

Besides the achievements, the Deputy Minister of Health also pointed out the difficulties and challenges: in many localities, the birth rate has fallen below the replacement level; the rate of population aging is rapid; and the gender imbalance at birth remains high. In remote areas, child marriage and consanguineous marriage still exist; disparities in stature, physical fitness, and quality of health and education services between regions continue to be a matter of concern.

To meet future requirements and tasks, Deputy Minister Do Xuan Tuyen requested that member ministries and agencies of the National Steering Committee, and People's Committees of provinces and cities continue to pay attention to directing and ensuring resources for population work under the two-tiered local government system; effectively implement the Population Law and the National Target Program on Health Care, Population and Development for the period 2026-2035. At the same time, they should continue to strengthen the organizational structure and improve the capacity of population officials at all levels to meet the requirements of the new phase.

On the occasion of Vietnam's Population Day (December 26th), the Deputy Minister of Health emphasized the desire for each citizen to proactively prepare for the future population of their family through specific decisions and actions. Units should intensify propaganda and mobilization efforts to encourage couples to decide on the number of children appropriate to their socio-economic conditions and the preferential policies stipulated in the Population Law, contributing to ensuring replacement fertility rates. Alongside this, the health sector will continue to strengthen communication at medical facilities and among young people to improve pre-marital knowledge; and effectively organize prenatal and newborn screening, contributing to improving the quality of the population.

In 2026, the health sector will continue to implement Conclusion No. 149-KL/TW of the Politburo on promoting the implementation of Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW, focusing on building and perfecting guiding documents for the implementation of the Population Law; submitting to the Prime Minister decisions on adjusting birth rates appropriately by 2030; approving and implementing projects to develop the workforce of elderly healthcare workers by 2030, with a vision to 2045; and controlling gender imbalance at birth in the 2026-2035 period. At the same time, it will finalize the population and development content in the National Target Program for the 2026-2035 period; and evaluate and summarize the implementation of Resolution No. 137/NQ-CP to adjust the content and targets accordingly for the 2026-2030 period.

According to Le Thanh Dung, Director of the Population Department (Ministry of Health), Vietnam's population is facing significant challenges. These challenges directly impact the country's sustainable development and the happiness of each family, requiring adequate investment and the synchronized implementation of solutions. Investment in population development in the coming period needs to be concretized through policies with guaranteed resources, linked to practical effectiveness, with a focus on encouraging two-child births, prioritizing areas with low birth rates, reducing gender imbalance at birth, adapting to population aging, and improving the quality of the population.

At the conference, delegates focused on discussing and evaluating the achievements, shortcomings, and limitations in population work over the past period; sharing practical experiences and proposing solutions to effectively implement the Population Law and population programs and projects in the coming period, aiming for sustainable development and improving the quality of life for the people.

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