Representatives from the Ministry of Health, the National Assembly’s Committee for Social Affairs, the International Elderly Association, and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) attended a seminar in Hanoi on November 16 to discuss health care for the elderly in Vietnam.
In his opening speech, Minister of Health Nguyen Quoc Trieu said the elderly in Vietnam play an important role and have a great influence on society. In time, the National Assembly will approve the law on the elderly. Mr Trieu added that Vietnam and other nations in the world have greatly contributed to increasing the life expectancy for people. In recent years, the average life expectancy of Vietnamese people has increased by 30 years.
At the seminar, experts discussed hot issues related to treating Alzheimer’s disease, improving health for the elderly, enhancing the functional rehabilitation for elderly patients and helping them re-integrate into the community.
Vietnam now has more than seven million old people, accounting for 10 percent of its population. This is a challenge for its socio-economic development. According to health experts, if proper measures are not taken, the cost of caring old people will be seven times higher than that of young ones.