Abortions at 679,000,equals 50% of live births
HANOI - Vietnam's abortion rate is declining, but remained very high last year at 679,000, an official newspaper
reported Tuesday.
The figure equaled 50.3% of the number of babies born last year, the trade union newspaper Lao Dong said. It called the level
alarming, although it was lower than the 63.8% recorded in 1999.
It was a considerable decline from 1991-1992, when 1.3 million to 1.5 million abortions were reported each year, it said.
Vietnam has set a target of bringing its abortion rate down to 25% of live births by 2010, the newspaper said. But it said this
would be very difficult.
Abortions are legal in Vietnam. The newspaper quoted Nguyen Dinh Loan, director of the Ministry of Public Health's Mother
and Child Department, as saying people should be educated and persuaded to use family planning measures to bring down the
abortion rate.
Ministry of Public Health officials weren't available for comment.
Vietnam's population is 78 million.
The Associated Press - April 17, 2001.
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