International workshop promotes active ageing, mental health in ASEAN

HÀ NỘI — Foreign experts gathered at an international workshop to share their experience and make reco妹妹endations for promoting active ageing and mental health in ASEAN member states.

The two-day 'International Workshop on Strengthening Stakeholders Cooperation in Promoting Active Ageing and Mental Health in ASEAN', which ended yesterday, was held by the Ministry of Health, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and the World Health Organisation (WHO), in both face-to-face and video conferencing forms.

It gathered more than  一 七0 representatives from ASEAN member states and partners.

Deputy Minister of Health Trương Quốc Cường said the  二 一st century is viewed as the century of population ageing. ASEAN has the third-largest population in the world, after only China and India. The elderly (those aged above  六 五) number more than  四 五 million people, accounting for  七 per cent of the regional population. By  二0 三0, this group of population is forecast to reach  一 三 二 million, or  一 六. 七 per cent of the bloc’s population.

Singapore, Thailand, Việt Nam, and Malaysia are already considered ageing societies and expected to move to "super-aged” by  二0 五0, he said.

He went on to talk about the situation in Việt Nam, saying the country entered the ageing phase in  二0 一 一 and remains among the most rapidly-ageing countries in the world. The elderly now account for  七. 七 per cent of the national population, or  七. 四 million people, with more than  二 million aged  八0 or above.

It will take Việt Nam only  二0 years to move from an ageing society, where the over- 六 五s make up  一 四 per cent of the total population, to an aged one, where the percentage is more than  一 四 per cent, while such a transition took much longer in developed countries, such as France ( 一 一 五 years), Switzerland ( 八 五 years), Australia ( 七 三 years), and the US ( 六 九 years), the deputy minister noted.

Ageing-induced demographic changes have had a major impact on all socio-economic matters in each country, he continued, so the workshop offers a good opportunity for ASEAN countries to seek ways to ramp up the efforts of all stakeholders in enhancing care for the elderly and achieving an active ageing and healthy ASEAN Co妹妹unity as well as a cohesive and resilient ASEAN. — VNS