Vietnamese people 'not rich yet old'

Vietnam is among the countries with low per capita income, but the proportion of the population aged 60 and over has begun to increase rapidly. This creates the phenomenon of "not rich yet old".

Elderly people in Ho Chi Minh City are cared for at the grassroots medical facility to "prevent" diseases from afar - Photo: T. THIEN

At the scientific workshop "Population aging and policies to adapt to population aging in Ho Chi Minh City" organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Development Studies on December 11, experts said that the "not rich yet old" population is an urgent issue and needs to be prioritized.

Burden of illness and finances in the elderly

Our country officially entered the population aging stage in 2011 when the proportion of people over 60 years old reached 10%, and this rate reached 12.8% in 2021, with a rapid increase. It is predicted that Vietnam will become a country with an aging population by 2036. Associate Professor Nguyen Van Tan, head of the Department of Geriatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, said that population aging in Vietnam began 10 years ago, and the elderly are increasing. In addition, the average life expectancy increased rapidly from 65.5 years old in 1994 to 79.2 years old in 2023, surpassing many other countries. It is worth noting that despite the rapid aging rate, the average income per capita is still low at under 10,000 USD. As life expectancy increases, the need for care will increase, and low income will not have enough money to care for the elderly. In addition, the elderly in Vietnam have to live with an average of 14 years of illness and 2.69 diseases such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders, but the rate of receiving pensions is currently below 30%. One of the issues of concern is that the disease pattern has shifted from infectious diseases to chronic non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and mental disorders. These diseases not only cause functional decline but also increase the risk of disability, typically loss of vision, hearing loss and chronic pain, thereby negatively affecting the quality of life of the elderly. Many non-communicable diseases require long-term treatment and high costs, exacerbating financial difficulties. Meanwhile, health care costs for this population group are 7-8 times higher than for children, creating a significant financial burden, especially in households with few members or living in remote areas. According to Dr. Tan, although health insurance has been widely implemented, according to research, it has not really significantly reduced the financial burden in health care. This may stem from limited insurance coverage or lack of appropriate medical services. "Typically, with high-tech treatment costs but health insurance does not cover them, patients with myocardial infarction hospitalized with health insurance must have coronary stents but health insurance does not cover them and the patient has to pay. Thus, high-tech is very expensive for patients or many people who want to be examined quickly have to choose non-public hospitals, thus adding to the financial burden for patients and their families," said Dr. Tan.

Putting the elderly at the center

MSc. Pham Chanh Trung, Head of the Department of Population and Family Planning of Ho Chi Minh City, said that the trend of population aging in our country is happening at a rapid pace while the average income per capita of our country is still low, so it is necessary to develop, perfect and synchronously implement policies for the elderly. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain a reasonable birth rate to have a reasonable population structure to ensure a labor force to serve the socio -economic development of the country, limiting the rapid aging of the population. In addition, it is necessary to have planning that adapts to population aging, planning for nursing homes or health care centers. To do so, it is necessary to have a policy mechanism on taxes, land allocation to mobilize the private sector, and economic sectors to participate in developing nursing home services for the elderly, classified by segment and type of service. According to Mr. Chanh Trung, one of the next important issues is to strengthen and improve the capacity of the grassroots health system in providing primary health care services, disease prevention and health care for the elderly in a priority, convenient, available and accessible manner. Focus on implementing a program of annual general health check-ups for the elderly, combined with the establishment of electronic health records for all elderly people. Form a network of volunteers and collaborators to participate in monitoring activities, supporting health care, managing chronic diseases, non-communicable diseases, focusing on training a team of staff to care for the elderly.

What can Vietnam learn from other countries' models?

Sharing at the workshop, Dr. Nguyen Thi Toan Thang, head of the Department of Social Work at the Ho Chi Minh City Academy of Officials, shared that many countries in the world have developed advanced and highly effective elderly care models that can be applied in Vietnam. Typically, Japan is one of the countries with the highest proportion of elderly people in the world. They have successfully built an industry for the elderly with the concept of "silver economy", including many service centers for the elderly, research and development of products specifically for the elderly... Encourage forms of care in the community, where the elderly can participate in collective activities, maintain social connections and receive support from volunteers. This model not only reduces pressure on the health care system but also helps them live independently and improve their mental health. Currently, many elderly people reach retirement age but are still healthy, clear-headed, have enough skills, experience and experience. Therefore, it is necessary to "take advantage" of this workforce, helping them become a team of collaborators for units and agencies in the state and private sectors. Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nguoi-dan-viet-nam-chua-giau-da-gia-20241212075303727.htm