With advanced technologies, data and analysis have helped countries, including Vietnam, to measure access to sexual and reproductive healthcare better than ever before while reaching people who are left behind.

Matt Jackson, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam.

On the occasion of World Population Day (July 11), The Hanoi Times is honored to introduce the reflections of UNFPA Representative in Vietnam Matt Jackson on the issues.

This year, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) – a landmark agreement by 179 countries, including Vietnam, that put gender equality, women’s empowerment, and human rights at the center of development.

Thirty years ago, as leaders agreed to the ICPD Programme of Action, many people across the world were not counted. Their lives and experiences were not captured by data. They were unseen and unheard. Yet improvements in technologies and data collection and analysis over the past 30 years mean that we can measure access to sexual and reproductive healthcare better than ever before. We can see who has benefited from progress and where some people are left behind.

Today, on World Population Day, we reflect on the progress made and the unfinished business, using reliable and inclusive population data as our guide. What this data tells us is that globally, many people find themselves trapped by multiple, compounding forms of marginalization and discrimination. This data shows that global reductions in maternal mortality, access to contraception, and steps towards gender equality have made great strides, but that progress has not been shared equally. It is these people – the hardest to reach and the furthest behind that need our attention.

Statistics are more than numbers – they are human stories. They speak about people’s health and well-being, problems, ambitions, and socio-economic circumstances. When analyzed, data shows where policies have worked well or where adjustments need to be made.

In Dong Phu Commune, Thanh Hoa Province, I met Le Thi Hoa, a homecare volunteer who shared her story of supporting the elderly in her community. Hoa received training through an Intergenerational Self-Help Club supported by UNFPA. Hoa learned how to wash and care for someone unable to look after themselves and how to change the clothes of someone with paralysis. Hoa plans to continue to help the elderly in her community for as long as she is able.

Hnhach, a woman of Ba Na ethnicity from Ɖe Ar commune in Gia Lai Province, told UNFPA how becoming a village birth attendant was important to help explain healthcare, nutrition, and the benefits of giving birth in a hospital to those in her community. In Lai Chau Province, I visited a Mong ethnicity village in Mu Sang Commune, where I heard similar stories of reluctance to give birth in health facilities due to long distances to get to a hospital or because of the local custom of not giving birth in front of strangers.

These stories point to the importance of reliable, inclusive population data for Vietnam’s future. Data that is disaggregated by gender, ethnicity, age, location, and other factors is essential to leave no one behind and to best prepare for demographic shifts such as Vietnam’s rapidly aging population or risks from climate change. Data tells us where health systems are not working for everyone such as highlighting shortages in skilled birth attendants or barriers in accessing contraceptives that lead to high rates of unintended pregnancies. Data also measures the prevalence of violence against women and children and gives voice to the needs of Vietnam’s growing elderly population.

Children in Hanoi enjoy great moments during the first-ever International Day of Play (June 11, 2024). Photo: UNICEF

This Spring, the General Statistics Office and UNFPA launched two important national surveys to improve data sets on Vietnam’s population and housing and to better understand the socio-economic needs of Vietnam’s 53 ethnic minorities. Better data helps to create policies and strategies that best meet people’s needs. Data also tells us more about people's lives, hopes, and expectations.

The good news is that due to investment, new legislation, and strong advocacy over the past 30 years, the global maternal mortality rate has reduced by 34%. Vietnam has made even better progress in reducing maternal mortality by 46%, yet it remains three times higher among ethnic minority groups than the national average.

Positive, reassuring messages from village birth attendants like Hnhach are crucial to breaking the high rate of maternal mortality among ethnic minorities. Data also tells us that whilst 96% of babies are delivered in hospitals in Vietnam, enabling access to medical care and equipment, this figure is only 30% for ethnic minority mothers, showing a big disparity in access to healthcare.

Globally, the number of women using modern contraception has doubled to 77%, yet more than 250 million women who want to avoid pregnancy are not using family planning. In Vietnam, contraceptive uptake is 60%, with the unmet need for unmarried women four times higher than for married women.

162 countries have passed laws against domestic violence, including Vietnam’s Domestic Violence Prevention and Control law updated in 2022. Yet globally 1 in 3 women, or nearly two-thirds of women in Vietnam, experience violence from a partner during their lifetime with the vast majority never seeking help.

Data provides the highs and lows – the progress made and the unfinished business to meet promises in the ICPD and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. But it is the stories of people like Hoa from Thanh Hoa and Hnhach from Gia Lai that make the numbers real. The data also guides the focus of our efforts. For Vietnam, this means reaching ethnic minorities with maternal healthcare, ensuring access to contraceptives for unmarried and young people, improving services for survivors and breaking the stigma surrounding domestic violence, and better listening to and supporting people with disabilities, the LGBTQI+ community, older persons, migrants, and all marginalized groups.

Continuous improvements in technology and data analysis allow us to better understand successes and to identify those who are missing out and being left behind. When we prioritize and listen to inclusive, disaggregated data we can be confident that our actions will ensure that everyone is counted and that we will reach those whose stories are the furthest behind with hope for an equitable future.

As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of ICPD, let’s recommit to leveraging robust data to navigate Vietnam’s demographic shifts and social challenges, striving for a future where every voice is heard and every life counts.

Matt Jackson, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam