Vietnam needs to devise a long-term strategy to tackle the agingproblems, focusing on welfare policies, communication campaigns,investments in education, and medical services.
Elderly peoplecurrently account for 10 percent of the country’s population and willreach 26 percent by 2050, heard a workshop that sought to raise publicawareness and prepare for ageing and to promote the role of socialwelfare in caring for the elderly.
The event in Hanoi onNovember 27 was a joint effort made by the Ministry of Labour,Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the German developmentcooperation agency GIZ, the Vietnam National Committee on Ageing (VNCA)and the Institute of Public Policy and Management (IPPM).
Itwas reported that only 21.9 percent of the elderly living in thecountryside and 35.6 percent of those living in the cities receive statepensions.
Besides, according to a national poll, only 4.8percent of elderly Vietnamese are healthy, whilst 65.4 percent arehaving health problems.
As much as 26.1 percent of the elderlyis not covered by any types of health insurance and up to 51 percentcannot afford medical treatment.
Nguyen Trong Dam, DeputyMinister of the MoLISA, said Vietnam is becoming an aging country,which indicates, on the one hand, constant improvements made in people’sliving conditions, and on the other hand, a personnel shortage facingthe workforce.
He raised the fact that only 20 percent ofworkers join social insurance, leaving a burden on the State budgetrequired to take care of the elderly.-VNA
Elderly peoplecurrently account for 10 percent of the country’s population and willreach 26 percent by 2050, heard a workshop that sought to raise publicawareness and prepare for ageing and to promote the role of socialwelfare in caring for the elderly.
The event in Hanoi onNovember 27 was a joint effort made by the Ministry of Labour,Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the German developmentcooperation agency GIZ, the Vietnam National Committee on Ageing (VNCA)and the Institute of Public Policy and Management (IPPM).
Itwas reported that only 21.9 percent of the elderly living in thecountryside and 35.6 percent of those living in the cities receive statepensions.
Besides, according to a national poll, only 4.8percent of elderly Vietnamese are healthy, whilst 65.4 percent arehaving health problems.
As much as 26.1 percent of the elderlyis not covered by any types of health insurance and up to 51 percentcannot afford medical treatment.
Nguyen Trong Dam, DeputyMinister of the MoLISA, said Vietnam is becoming an aging country,which indicates, on the one hand, constant improvements made in people’sliving conditions, and on the other hand, a personnel shortage facingthe workforce.
He raised the fact that only 20 percent ofworkers join social insurance, leaving a burden on the State budgetrequired to take care of the elderly.-VNA