Ministry of Health: Strengthening policies to support and care for the health of the elderly

According to National Population Data, the country currently has about 16.1 million elderly people, accounting for over 16% of the population.

On April 1, the Ministry of Health informed that it had received Official Dispatch No. 137/UBDNGS dated March 25, 2025 of the Committee for People's Aspirations and Supervision (Standing Committee of the National Assembly) regarding the request to respond to voters' recommendations sent after the 8th session of the 15th National Assembly, in which voters recommended: Strengthening policies to support and care for the health of the elderly; supervising the implementation of policies at the grassroots level. Increasing the level of support funding for elderly associations.

According to the Ministry of Health , to date, 95% of the elderly have been granted health insurance cards, more than 1.87 million elderly people receive monthly social allowances, more than 1.4 million elderly people receive allowances for people with revolutionary contributions, more than 2.7 million elderly people are receiving monthly pensions and social insurance allowances, more than 6,300 intergenerational self-help clubs have been established and operated, actively contributing to the care and promotion of the role of the elderly.

On February 21, 2025, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 383/QD-TTg approving the National Strategy for the Elderly to 2035, with a vision to 2045, aiming to build and perfect the system of policies on the elderly in a comprehensive, modern, inclusive, sustainable manner, ensuring progress and social equity.

The Ministry of Health said that in order to carry out the tasks assigned by the Government, every year, the Department of Social Protection, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (now the Department of Social Protection under the Ministry of Health) regularly organizes inspection teams to implement policies for the elderly in localities.

The Vietnam National Committee on Aging organized many interdisciplinary working groups to inspect the implementation of the Law on the Elderly in a number of localities to promptly remove difficulties and obstacles in the process of implementing policies and laws for the elderly.

In response to voters' recommendations, in the coming time, the Ministry of Health will continue to strengthen inspection and supervision of the implementation of policies and laws for the elderly at the grassroots level to assess the situation, as a basis for research, and propose amendments and supplements to mechanisms and policies for the elderly.

On November 23, 2009, at the 6th session, the 12th National Assembly passed the Law on the Elderly.

According to the Ministry of Health, after nearly 15 years of implementing the Law on the Elderly, activities to protect and care for the elderly have been integrated into many programs and tasks of ministries, branches and localities.

The elderly have been given the opportunity to actively participate in movements to build new rural areas, protect national security, social order and safety, culture, physical training and sports in their localities and residential areas. Every year, the State budget allocates about 28,000 billion VND to pay monthly social allowances and buy health insurance cards for social protection beneficiaries, including the elderly./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/bo-y-te-tang-cuong-chinh-sach-ho-tro-cham-soc-suc-khoe-nguoi-cao-tuoi-post1024040.vnp