Vietnam: Brief Country Profile

Population

Growing population rates in Vietnam are linked to changing perspectives on the Vietnamese family structure.

The main reasons for rapid population growth are:

• Average age for marriage is 24 in men and 18 in women, with women having children around 20, which means that women have an extended time to have children. (Compare this to the average age of around 30 in Australia for women to have children)
• A decrease in the mortality rate and an increase in health conditions
• The lack of a national policy which pays specific attention to population reduction
• the mass movement of family planning has not been widespread. This is due to the fact that information, education and communication in regards to family planning have not been able to psychological barriers and old customs.

Because of this rapid growth in the Vietnamese population, the development of the Vietnamese cultural, intellectual and physical psyche has not been the same compared to developing western countries.

• Vietnam is the third most densely populated country in South East Asia
• Population currently stands at 80 million. There has been a growth rate of 2% each year, with a projected population of 100 million by 2024.
• 1960 - 30.2 million (increase of about 36%) 1970 - 41.1 million  (increase of about 28%)1979/80 - 52.7 million  (increase of about 26%) 1990 - 66.6 million  (increase of about 20%) 2000 - 79.9 million  (increase of about 25%) 2024 - 100 million
• Such rapid population increases may cause a repeat of the 1981-86 food shortage where Vietnam had to produce an additional 400,000 tons of food each year to keep up to pace with the increasing population
• In 2000, Vietnam's population comprised of 60% of people who were under 25. This means that more than half the population has little recollection of the war?  Something to think about.
• According to world facts dot com, as of July 2003:
  • Vietnam's population is 81.6 million, a 1.6 million increase in 3 years. (That's half the population of Sydney!)
  • Population growth rate is 1.29%, a decrease in the 2000 rate.
  • Life expectancy has risen to 70
  • There is a negative migration rate of -0.46 per 1000 people, this due to past Wars and instability in government.
• Vietnam total land mass of329,560 sq km and Australia has a total land mass of 7,686,850 sq km. Vietnam is 23 times smaller than Australia but it has 4 times the population!

Health

• According to international health news, Vietnam's health care initiative since 1975 to treat, prevent and monitor the health of its population of almost 80 million people, despite its relative poverty, is worthy of praise
• The Vietnamese government has began to focus on the health system since 1975, and their aim is to improve it. National policies and campaigns are being used to help raise awareness of possible problems in the health system and to encourage people to use resources that are available.
• 1945 - Vietnam had 47 hospitals, total of 3000 beds, one physician for every 180000 people. Av life expectancy was 34.
• 1979 - Vietnam had 713 hospitals with 205,700 beds, more than 10,000 maternity clinics and rural health stations. Number of physicians increased to 1 per 1000 people. Av life expectancy was 63.
• Vietnam has an extensive, but poorly funded, govt health system
• The govt has provided a limited number of well-funded central government hospitals, but these are mainly located in urban areas. These facilities provide the best type of health care, but due to their location, not all people can use them, and because of their high fees, only upper-income groups can afford to use them.
• The government also provides district hospitals, polyclinics (medical clinics staffed by several physicians) and at the lower end of the spectrum, communal health centres which are staffed by one doctor or assistant doctor and one or two nurses or midwives
• Most govt health facilities charge fees for their services. Certain groups are exempted from having to pay fees, at least in principle, including: children under six years of age, the police and military, disabled war veterans, residents of some settlements schemes, and minority residents of mountainous areas.
• In Vietnam there is a private health care system which did not exist under communist rule. An important fact for you to know is that Vietnam is now known as The Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Socialism and communism are both left wing ideologies but they differ slightly. Communism consist of a centrally planned economy where everything is run and owned by the government. Socialism acknowledges and respects individual rights, it accepts parliamentary democracy and the use of persuasion rather than force, all of which are not implemented under communism.
• Levels of adequate health care have been lacking since the introduction of the Doi Moi in the late 80s. Although, this renovation was aimed at helping to improve the Vietnamese health system.
• The practice of traditional methods of medicine has remained in use over the years, only declining slightly since 1987. Western drugs are expensive and difficult to come across and can only be afforded by people with higher incomes. People of middle to lower class still heavily rely on traditional eastern medicinal treatments.
• Most Vietnamese people do not have health insurance
• The most common diseases in Vietnam were malaria, TB, trachoma, venereal diseases, whooping cough, polio and the measles. Incidence of catching these diseases in 2003 has decreased radically, with fewer cases being reported every year.
• Western countries face the problem of obesity where as Vietnam faces the problem of people being underweight. 1987 to 1989, it was discovered that Vietnam had a higher proportion of underweight and stunted children.

Social Welfare:

• Vietnamese people do not have a welfare system like the one in Australia. The Vietnamese government have a responsibility to look after urban unemployment, vocational training, homelessness, the care of orphans, war veterans, and the disabled, the control of epidemics, and the rehabilitation of drug addicts and prostitutes. Financial assistance is provided for Vietnamese Minority groups and war veterans.
• Social welfare is a new concept in Vietnam, coming about under the socialist rule

Education:

• Vietnamese people have inherited a great respect for education from their roots in Confucianism from their former Chinese rulers. Education has been, and still is, a big part of life. A good education is essential in getting a good job and it also boost morale and reputation.
• Like other Asian countries, the Vietnamese educations system was modelled after that of France but has recently been changed to incorporate Vietnamese history, language, literature and in some areas the teaching of revolutionary ethics
• Prior to the 1950s, poverty was a major reason why many people lacked sufficient levels of education. This problem still exists in 2003, but not to the extent that it did before WWII.
• Post Vietnam War - all public and private schools in the South were taken over by the state and teachers from the North were sent to the south to guide the transition of the teachers so that they are up to "Socialist teaching standards". We saw in that video a few weeks ago were Hien Tran was a trained teacher before the Vietnam War, but after the reunification of the country, she could not find work as a teacher because she got her degree in South Vietnam.
• Over the years, the Vietnamese education system has been reformed in order to meet the needs of the country, politically, socially and economically. For example there was a reform in education after the introduction of the Doi Moi in 1986. This was so that students were learning about issues that we related to the countries new economic renovation.