Tasks and powers of the Population Sub-Department under the Department of Health as of February 19, 2024, in Vietnam

Tasks and powers of the Population Sub-Department under the Department of Health as of February 19, 2024, in Vietnam (Internet image) 

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

On December 31, 2023, the Minister of Health of Vietnam issued Circular 34/2023/TT-BYT guiding the functions, tasks, and powers of the Population Branch under the Department of Health, taking effect on February 19, 2024.

1. Position and functions of the Population Sub-Department under the Department of Health as of February 19, 2024

- Population Sub-Department of provinces and centrally run cities (hereinafter abbreviated as the Provincial Population Sub-Department) is an organization under the Department of Health that carries out the advisory function to assist the Department of Health in state management of population work, including the following areas: population size, population structure, population quality, family planning, and health care for the elderly in the community; direct and organize the implementation of professional activities on the population in the province.

- The Provincial Population Sub-Department is under the direction and management of the organization, staffing, and operations of the Department of Health; at the same time, it is subject to the direction, guidance, and professional inspection of the Population Department under the Ministry of Health.

- The Provincial Population Sub-Department has legal status and has its own office, seal, and account.

(Article 1 of Circular 34/2023/TT-BYT)

2. Tasks and powers of the Population Sub-Department under the Department of Health as of February 19, 2024 in Vietnam

Tasks and powers of the Population Sub-Department under the Department of Health from February 19, 2024, are specified in Article 2 of Circular 34/2023/TT-BYT, including:

- Advise and help the Department of Health submit to competent authorities for promulgation and organize the implementation of legal documents, planning, plans, programs, schemes, projects, regulations on inter-sectoral coordination, measures to organize the implementation of professional tasks, and socialization of population work in the province.

- Submit to the Department of Health to promulgate programs, plans, schemes, projects, and inter-sectoral coordination programs in the field of population in the province.

- Chair and coordinate with relevant agencies and organizations to organize the implementation of approved legal documents, policies, strategies, planning, plans, programs, schemes, and projects on population;

- Propagate and disseminate policies and laws on population work in the province.

- Advise competent authorities to integrate population content into local socio-economic development plans and plans; of industries and fields in the province.

- Issue according to authority or submit to competent authorities to promulgate documents providing professional guidance, inspection, and implementation.

- Regarding population size:

+ Monitor population changes and submit them to competent authorities to propose solutions and models to adjust fertility rates and population growth rates in the province;

+ Develop population forecasts to serve the province's socio-economic development plan.

- Regarding population structure:

+ Develop goals, targets, and intervention measures on population structure by gender and age in the province;

+ Guide and inspect the implementation of legal regulations to ensure gender balance at birth according to natural reproductive laws in the province.

- Regarding population quality:

+ Develop goals, targets, and intervention measures on population quality to contribute to meeting the province's human resource needs;

+ Guide and implement projects to improve population quality, consultation, health examination before marriage, reduce child marriage, inbreeding marriage, screening, and prenatal and neonatal diagnosis in the province.

- About family planning:

+ Develop goals and targets for implementing family planning and contraception; Provide guidance on measures to prevent infertility in the community in the province;

+ Forecast the need for contraceptives; manage and coordinate the supply of contraceptives through free distribution channels, social marketing, and socialization in population programs.

- Regarding health care for the elderly in the community:

+ Develop, guide, and organize the implementation of goals and targets on health care and nutrition for the elderly in the community;

+ Provide guidance on organizing the implementation of health promotion, disease prevention, self-care, and nutrition for the elderly in the community; Coordinate to organize periodic health examinations, create monitoring records, and rehabilitate elderly people in the community.

- Preside and coordinate with relevant agencies and organizations to provide professional guidance, carry out communication, advocacy, and educational activities, and provide consulting services on population, family planning, and health care for the elderly in the community in the province.

- Organize and implement scientific research activities, the application of scientific and information technology advances, and administrative reform within the authority assigned.

- Coordinate the development of an information system for population data management and digital transformation in population work; organize and carry out statistics, information, and reports on population according to regulations.

- Guide, inspect, and supervise the activities of agencies and organizations providing population consulting services under their management in the province:
Health examination consulting services before marriage, prenatal and newborn screening consulting, family planning consulting, and health care consulting for the elderly in the community.

- Organize training and professional development on population for civil servants, population officials, collaborators, and population workers in the province according to regulations.

- Manage organizational structure and payroll; assign finances and assets; manage public service organizations under the branch (if any); Implement salary regimes and policies on remuneration, rewards, and discipline according to the provisions of the law and the management decentralization of the Department of Health.

- Resolve disputes, complaints, and denunciations; prevent and combat corruption and negativity; practice savings and combat waste in population work in the province according to the provisions of law and as assigned or authorized by the Department of Health.

- Advise and assist the Steering Committee on the population work of the province.

- Perform other tasks as prescribed by law.

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