Inclusive data – key to reaching those furthest behind: UNFPA Representative

Matt Jackson, UNFPA Representative in Việt Nam (5th from right) participates in investigating and collecting information on a household in Da Bac district, Hòa Bình Province. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI– United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Việt Nam Matt Jackson has highlighted the importance of reliable, inclusive population data for Việt Nam’s future, saying it is essential to leave no one behind and to best prepare for demographic shifts such as rapidly ageing population or risks from climate change.

On the occasion of World Population Day (July 11), the official wrote an article about inclusive data, which he calls a key to reaching those furthest behind.

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

Thirty years ago, as leaders agreed 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 health care better than ever before. We can see who has benefited from progress and where some people are left behind.

Today, on the 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 marginalisation 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, their problems, ambitions and socio-economic circumstances. When analysed, data shows where policies have worked well or where adjustments need to be made.

In Đông Phú commune, Thanh Hóa Province, I met Lê Thị 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 a 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 the De Ar commune in Gia Lai Province, told UNFPA how becoming a village birth attendant was important to help explain health care, nutrition and the benefits of giving birth in hospital to those in her community. In Lai Châu province, I visited a Mông ethnic 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 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 Việt Nam’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 Việt Nam’s rapidly ageing 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 Việt Nam’s growing elderly population.

This spring, the General Statistics Office and UNFPA launched two important national surveys to improve data sets on Việt Nam’s population and housing and to better understand the socio-economic needs of Việt Nam’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 per cent. Việt Nam has made even better progress reducing maternal mortality by 46 per cent, 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 break the high rate of maternal mortality among ethnic minorities. Data also tells us that whilst 96 per cent of babies are delivered in hospitals in Việt Nam enabling access to medical care and equipment, this figure is only 30 per cent for ethnic minority mothers, showing a big disparity in access to health care.

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

As many as 162 countries have passed laws against domestic violence, including Việt Nam’s Domestic Violence Prevention and Control Law updated in 2022. Yet globally one in three women, or nearly two-thirds of women in Việt Nam, 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 Hóa and Hnhach from Gia Lai that make the numbers real. The data also guides the focus of our efforts. For Việt Nam, this means reaching ethnic minorities with maternal health care, 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 marginalised 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 prioritise 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 Vi’s demographic shifts and social challenges, striving for a future where every voice is heard and every life counts. VNS