Vietnam Predicted to Be Among Fastest Aging Countries by 2038: Health Minister

Increasing life expectancy and declining birth rates have positioned Vietnam as one of the countries expected to experience the fastest aging population in the world, potentially becoming an aged nation by 2038, said Minister of Health Dao Hong Lan.

Minister Lan made this remark during the signing ceremony of a cooperation program between the Ministry of Health and the Vietnam Central Elderly Association regarding healthcare for the elderly for the period 2024-2028 in Hanoi on September 26.

Ms. Lan highlighted that Vietnam has only about 15 years before entering the aging population phase.

She pointed out that while population aging is one of the significant outcomes of socioeconomic progress in general and healthcare in particular, rapid aging presents considerable challenges for the social welfare system, employment, transportation, and particularly the healthcare system for the elderly in Vietnam.

The cooperation program on healthcare for the elderly from 2024 to 2028 aims to ensure that older adults have access to quality healthcare services and actively participate in caring for and improving their health, as well as that of their families and communities, she said. 

(Dang Cong San, suckhoeviet.org.vn, Tuyen Giao, Nhan Dan, Vietnam Plus)