The direction on taking care of old people, issued by the Communist Party Secretariat in September 1995, has helped raise awareness of the elderly and tapped into the potential of every family, community and social organizations to look after old people.
Over the past year, many localities have incorporated the national campaign for taking care of old people and bringing their role into full play.
In 2009, the movement of ‘one million coats for the elderly’ will benefit those living in the country’s 61 poorest districts and many localities, enterprises and citizens have zealously supported this programme.
These practical activities have assisted and encouraged old people, making them healthier and happier.
Statistics by the Vietnam Old People’s Association show that Vietnam has 8.2 million old people, making up 9.5 percent of the total population. These senior citizens not only gave birth to and raised young Vietnamese citizens but have also contributed greatly to national defence and construction as well as the ongoing process of renovation, industrialization and modernization.
Old people across the country are actively responding to the campaign for studying and following the ethics of late President Ho Chi Minh. They are also encouraging their children and grandchildren to follow suit. A considerable number of them have proved to be excellent in doing business, thereby contributing to poverty reduction and providing jobs for local inhabitants.
Last March, village patriarchs in the Central Highlands gathered at a meeting and proposed a wide range of ideas to build the region, strengthen national unity and build on the cultural identities of ethnic minority groups in the region.
The aging of the population and demographic changes are two of the 21st century’s global issues and an inevitable trend in many nations, including Vietnam. It is essential for Vietnam to work out a national long-term strategy on the aged population. Other countries have devised state polices to mobilize social resources to train or retrain old people, provide them with information and knowledge to reintegrate into society, and give them jobs, regular medical check-ups, etc./.