DECISION

APPROVING THE NATIONAL TARGET PROGRAM ON POPULATION AND FAMILY PLANNING IN THE 2006-2010 PERIOD

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the January 9, 2003 Ordinance on Population;

At the proposal of the Minister of Health,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the national target program on population and family planning in the 2006-2010 period with the following principal contents:

1. program objectives

a/ Overall objectives:

- To concentrate all efforts on realizing the goal that every couple of reproductive age has only one or two child(ren) with a view to firmly sustaining the replacement birth rate and eventually stabilizing the population size at a reasonable level;

- To experiment and expand a number of intervention models and measures in order to contribute to improving Vietnams population quality physically, intellectually and spiritually and meeting the demand for quality human resources in service of the countrys industrialization, modernization and sustainable development.

b/ Specific targets by 2010:

- The average birth rate will decrease by around 0.25%/year in the 2006-2010 period.

- The population growth rate will be around 1.14% by 2010.

- The population size will be under 89 million by 2010;

- The rate of using modern contraceptive methods will reach 70% by 2010;

- To continue adopting intervention models and measures in order to improve population quality.

2. Time for and scope of program implementation

a/ Implementation time: from 2006 to 2010.

b/ Scope of implementation: on a national scale with priority given to rural areas with high population density and unstable birth rate, areas with high birth rate, and areas meeting with socio-economic difficulties and special socio-economic difficulties.

3. The program consists of six major projects below:

a/ Project on propagation and education for behavioral change:

To implement on a comprehensive and regular basis activities of propagation, mobilization, education and counseling on population and family planning with contents and forms suitable to each target group and socio-economic and cultural conditions of each area and region with a view to raising public awareness and creating a favorable environment in terms of policies, resources and public opinion for each individual, family and community to actively and voluntarily change their behaviors in accordance with the Partys guidelines and policies and the States law on population and family planning. To promote propagation, mobilization, education and counseling activities in rural areas with unstable birth rate, areas with high birth rate, and areas meeting with socio-economic difficulties and special socio-economic difficulties. To pay attention to forms of mobilization of, and direct counseling for, couples of reproductive age and young people. To raise the quality of population education at schools.

b/ Project on improvement of family planning service quality:

To satisfy well, fully, promptly, safely and conveniently the needs of all service users for family planning services in order to fulfill family planning objectives and contribute to improving population quality. To prioritize the provision of family planning services for couples of reproductive age in rural areas with unstable birth rate, areas with high birth rate, and areas meeting with socio-economic difficulties and special socio-economic difficulties.

c/ Project on assurance of logistics and promotion of social marketing for contraceptive devices:

To supply well, fully and promptly contraceptive devices for all kinds of users, contributing to realizing the objective on birth reduction and HIV/AIDS prevention and control. To boost social marketing for and popularly sell contraceptive devices at market prices. To raise the rate of using modern contraceptive methods.

d/ Project on improvement of the program management, monitoring and implementation capacity:

To raise the program management, monitoring and implementation capacity for population and family planning workers at all levels and in branches and organizations in order to successfully implement the national target program on population and family planning in the 2006-2010 period. To concentrate on training, surveys and sharing of experience on methods of managing, monitoring and implementing the program and its projects; and improve population and family planning professional skills.

dd/ Project on improvement of the quality of population and family planning information:

To supply full, prompt and accurate information and data on population and family planning to meet requirements on management and monitoring of the program at management levels, making contributions to the adoption of socio-economic development master plans and plans.

e/ Project on pilot implementation and expansion of a number of intervention models and measures to improve Vietnams population quality:

To develop a number of intervention models on prenatal and postnatal screening techniques for detection and early treatment of a number of innate diseases, newborn malformation and genetic deformities. To study and experiment a number of social intervention models in order to eliminate or change backward traditions and customs that cause race quality degradation. To study and experiment the model of improving the population quality of a number of ethnic groups at risk of population decline and quality degradation.

4. Funding sources and total funds for program implementation:

- The funds for program implementation shall be taken from the central budget, local budgets, international aid, community-raised funds and other lawful funding sources.

- The Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance shall agree upon and determine the total investment for the program implementation in the 2006-2010 period (from all funding sources) which must not exceed VND 3,600 billion. When allocating funds, priorities shall be given to rural areas with unstable birth rate, areas with high birth rate and areas meeting with socio-economic difficulties and special socio-economic difficulties.

5. Organization of program implementation:

a/ The Ministry of Health shall:

- Take the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and provincial/ municipal Peoples Committees in, directing the program implementation; continue completing, appraising and improving investment in, and managing and organizing the implementation of, the Programs projects according to current regulations;

- Take the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance in, guiding, monitoring and inspecting concerned ministries and branches and provincial/municipal Peoples Committees in the program implementation; annually review and report the program implementation to the Prime Minister.

b/ The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health in, balancing and supplying resources for the Program; adopt mechanisms and policies to mobilize resources for the program implementation; integrate population issues into national-level socio-economic development programs; take the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Health and concerned agencies in, guiding provincial/municipal Peoples Committees to integrate the national target program on population and family planning into other national target programs in their localities (from planning to implementation).

c/ The Ministry of Finance shall, based on the annual state budget capacity, take the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in, allocating funds to ministries, branches and localities for program implementation and report to the Government for submission to the National Assembly for approval; guide, inspect and monitor the use of funds for program implementation in accordance with the State Budget Law and other relevant laws.

d/ The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall integrate the programs contents into poverty reduction and employment programs.

dd/ The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall integrate the programs contents into agricultural, forestry and fisheries extension programs and rural development programs.

e/ The Ministry of Education and Training shall efficiently implement population, reproductive health, gender and sex education activities inside and outside schools.

g/ The Ministry of Science and Technology shall assist the Ministry of Health in elaborating and implementing scientific research plans on population, especially researches aimed at improving population quality.

h/ Other ministries and branches shall implement the program according to their assigned tasks.

i/ Provincial/municipal Peoples Committees shall:

- Bring into play their creativeness, activeness and initiatives in mobilizing resources and making use of advantages of each locality; organize the implementation of the Programs objectives and contents under the direction and guidance of the Ministry of Health and functional ministries and branches;

- Effectively integrate the national target program on population and family planning with other national target programs in their localities (from implementation planning to organization of implementation); regularly monitor the program implementation in their localities: and annually report on the program implementation in their localities in accordance with current regulations on annual reporting regime.

k/ Request the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations and socio-professional organizations to participate in the program implementation within their scope of operation; to organize the dissemination and propagation on population and family planning policies to their members; and to mobilize their members and people of all strata to comply with population and family planning policies.

Article 2. Mechanism of program management and monitoring

The mechanism on management and monitoring of the national target program on population and family planning in the 2006-2010 period complies with regulations on management and monitoring of national target programs and other relevant current regulations.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect 15 days after its publication in CONG BAO.

Article 4. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and presidents of provincial/municipal Peoples Committees shall implement this Decision.