Providing medical check-up for elderly people (Illustrative image. Source: VNA)The 250 participants were parliamentarians,government officials, experts, researchers and businesspersons from the APECeconomies and international organisations.
The forum took place on the sidelines of thethird APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting and related meetings.
Chairing the event’s opening session, VietnameseMinister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said population change is currently oneof the biggest demographic changes in the world with the rapid growth rate ofold people, generating major opportunities and challenges and impacting alleconomic and social aspects of each country, community and family.
The forum allowed policy makers, managementofficials, scientists and relevant parties to seek solutions and concrete andpractical actions to invest in dynamic and healthy aging towards sustainabledevelopment in each economy and prosperity in Asia-Pacific.
Keizo Takemi, a member of Japan’s House ofCouncillors and Chairman of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Populationand Development, said population aging has become a regional issue that needsclose cooperation among multiple parties to work out solutions and actions.
The forum provided a chance for economies topromote cooperation in carrying out multilateral solutions and public-privatepartnerships to build a healthcare network for the elderly and help improvelife expectancy and health, so that the elderly can continue to work and easethe economic burden on younger people.
The APEC economies account for 40.5 percent ofthe global population, nearly 50 percent of which are the elderly. Most of theAPEC members are facing challenges posed by issues of the elderly, especiallythe economies with big numbers and rates of old people such as China and Japan.
Vietnam has more than 10 million old people,accounting for 11 percent of its population. As a country with fast populationaging speed, the elderly can make up 18 percent and 26 percent of the country’spopulation in 2030 and 2050, respectively.
The forum in HCM City was held by the VietnameseGovernment in coordination with the Japanese Government, the Asian Forum ofParliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), the Economic ResearchInstitute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), HelpAge International, the JapanCentre for International Exchange (JCIE), and the Japan External TradeOrganisation (JETRO).-VNA
VNA
