Nghe An's population is beginning to age.

(Baonghean.vn) – On the morning of April 1st, the Vietnam Institute for Research on the Elderly, in collaboration with the Nghe An Provincial Association of the Elderly, organized a scientific seminar on the current state of basic needs regarding food, clothing, housing, transportation, and healthcare for the elderly in Nghe An province.

Attending the seminar were Dr. Nguyen The Hue - Director of the Nghe An Institute for Research on the Elderly, the Nghe An Provincial Association of the Elderly, representatives of leaders from departments, agencies, and the elderly associations at the district, city, and town levels in the province.

Scenes from the seminar.

Accordingly, as of the end of December 2015, the province had 352,457 elderly members, with the elderly population accounting for 10.65% of the total population. The number of centenarians was 1,252. The average annual number of elderly people aged 80 and above was over 56,000. Thus, Nghe An has entered the stage of population aging.

Notably, only 23% of the elderly are retirees or receive social welfare benefits, while the remaining 77% live in rural and mountainous areas, relying on agriculture for their livelihood.

In response to this situation, Nghe An province has taken practical actions to improve the spiritual and material lives of the elderly. Regular campaigns and social initiatives have been organized and received strong support from the entire population, helping many elderly people in difficult circumstances to have enough to eat and wear.

Elderly members of the Nghia Lien Commune Senior Citizens Club (Nghia Dan District) participate in the "Community-Based Health Counseling and Care Program for the Elderly".

In particular, in the area of ​​housing, from 2012 to the present, temporary housing has been eliminated for 13,541 elderly people. This is a commendable effort given the limited budget.

In terms of transportation, infrastructure has improved significantly in recent years, with well-maintained roads and convenient transportation options, making life easier for the elderly.

Elderly people perform cultural shows.

However, to further improve the quality of life for the elderly and harmoniously address the reality of population aging, the seminar also recorded many suggestions such as focusing on increasing the percentage of the elderly with health insurance cards, paying attention to building recreational and exercise areas in public places, proposing that the transportation sector reduce ticket prices for the elderly, strengthening propaganda and raising awareness in the community about appropriate behavior towards the elderly…

Phuong Chi