Hanoi (VNA) – Health experts gathered at a workshop in Han♋oi on November 17 to discuss a 𝕴draft project designed to improve the population situation, reproductive health and family planning services for adolescents and youths.

Nguyen Van Tan, Deputy Head of the General Office for Population and Family Planning under the Ministry of Health, said adolescents and youths make up nearly 24 percent of the country’s total population, equivalent to over 22 million people. He noted that his office has enacted a number of measures to provide pre-marital consultations and medical check-ups, and reduce child and consanguineous marriages among ethnic minority groups while offering healthcare services for young workers at industrial parks. However, the outcomes remains limited, he said, adding that the building of the project is needed to increase knowledge, awareness and behaviour of youngsters in the field. Chief Representative of the UN Population Fund in Vietnam Astrid Bant stressed that most of Vietnamese young people lack fundamental knowledge about reproductive and sexual health. One-third of the youngsters are facing difficulties in gaining access to relevant services, which leads to unsafe sex, sexually transmitted diseases, and abortion. The project should ensure the access to necessary reproductive and sexual health services for all juveniles and youngsters in urban, rural and ethnic minority-inhabited areas as well as HIV-infected and homosexual groups. The draft project sets a target of reducing 50 percent of youngsters with unplanned pregnancy and increasing the number of centres providing reproductive health services for young people to 75 percent by 2020.-VNA