Children play on a pedestrian street near Hoàn Kiếm Lake. VNA/VNS Photo Danh Lam

The capital city has set the target of reducing the number of families with more than three children as its population hit 8.4 million people in 2022, according to the municipal Department of Health.

The city will reduce both the percentage of families with more than three children and the percentageof malnourished children under five years of age by 0.1 per cent.

Hà Nội has recorded positive results in population and family planning work, contributing to the overall socio-economic development of the city, said deputy director of the department Vũ Cao Cương.

By the end of 2022, Hà Nội’s population accounted for 8.4 per cent of the whole country’s population, and the gender imbalance at birth improved to 112.5 boys for every 100 girls.

Its prenatal and newborn screening rates stood at 82 per cent and 86 per cent, respectively in the year.

The official also noted that the city still faced new challenges due to the large population scale and area. The number of families with at least three children decreased but not at a stable rate.

An ageing population is also a major challenge to the capital that requires a proactive plan with proper policies to ensure the health, social welfare and benefits of senior citizens, according to Cương.

He suggested relevant authorities, along with districts and townships across the city, strengthen coordination to ensure population work is treated with due care and attention.

The city will also expand its communication work on population with special attention to adolescent and youth reproductive health, pre-marital counselling and health examination, prenatal and newborn screening, and the health of the elderly.

In addition to its existing initiatives, Hà Nội has announced its focus on providing contraceptives, reproductive health-related products and services, and the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. — VNS