The issue was the focus of the workshop on “Health security of older persons: asurvey of five ASEAN countries,” recently held by the Institute of PublicPolicy and Management (IPPM) at the National Economics University in Hanoi.
Researchersfrom Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam - together with anumber of experts and representatives from agencies specialising populationageing issues in Vietnam - participated in the discussion.
AssociateProfessor Giang Thanh Long, Director of IPPM, stressed the importance ofdeveloping health security programmes for Asian countries in general and thefive countries surveyed in particular.
Even withconsiderable disparity between per-capita income among these countries, theyall experience accelerated ageing. Therefore, studies and reviews on theeffectiveness of policies will provide learning opportunities for all involved.
Delegatesdiscussed how an ageing population leads to a rise in non-contagious butchronic diseases – such as cancer, diabetes, or cardiovascular diseases. Thesediseases require an overhaul of health care system, from facilities topersonnel, further straining the already limited State budget.
Otheraspects of elderly health care also need to be mainstreamed into Statepolicy-making decisions: such as access to these healthcare services, andelderly satisfaction with health care.
Speaking at the workshop, Dr. TheresaDevasahayam, fellow and researcher-in-charge from Institute of Southeast AsianStudies in Singapore, said that the country’s government wants to push familyvalues. Therefore, it has implemented a number of policies to encourageoffspring and youngsters to take care of the elderly people – such as tax cutsand preferential housing prices for those living with their senior parents.
However,a noteworthy issue, as Theresa pointed out, is that the living cost inSingapore is exorbitant; it is one of the most expensive cities in the world.Therefore, ensuring an income that can comfortably cover expenses, includinghealthcare for low-income or irregular income earners, needs to be taken intoaccount.
AssociateProfessor Ling How Kee from the Social Science Faculty of Malaysia’s UnimasUniversity, said that the country also holds family values in high regards.It’s often the case that old parents wish to live under the same roof with theirchildren and grandchildren.
However,the elderly are feeling the profound impact of increasing migration from ruralareas to urban centres.
Thailand,despite its trend of fewer children are living with their parents, still placesa high premium on family relationships, thanks in large part to frequentcommunications, Associate Professor Rossarin Gray, who is serving as DeputyDirector of the Institute for Population and Social Research at MahidolUniversity, said.
Giving alow-income country perspective, Malaysian Professor Hein Thet Ssoe, fromHelpAge International – an international NGO that offers support for theelderly – said the country’s government is encouraging children to live withtheir parents.
However,like other Asian countries, stark and ever-expanding generational differenceshave led to a mounting preference for adult children to move away from theirparents, causing a drop in number of the traditional multigenerational family.In Myanmar, nonagenarians and older are given a monthly subsidy, in addition tofree-of-charge health check-ups and treatment, he added.
Vietnam canlearn from best practices implemented by other countries to deal with ageingpopulations. For example, the measures Thailand has taken to extend health carecoverage to all people, or the shift towards a community-based geriatricshealth care scheme.
Policiesthat provide financial support in housing purchases for adult children who wantto live with their parents, if done right, can sway the trend of nuclearisationof households.
Considering the ageing Vietnamese population, the speakers all recommended theVietnamese Government not only to pay attention to health care for old peopleas a standalone part in the health care system, but also consider a totaloverhaul of social security and health insurance. Its end goal should be a‘successfully ageing society’ – where older people are able to achievefinancial security, health care insurance, and active engagement in socialactivities.
TheGovernment should reorient the delivery system from the intensive use ofhospital care to greater reliance on improved primary care and reform providerpayment mechanisms from fee-for-services to case-based approaches, recommendedPhillip O’Keefe, World Bank’s Regional Lead Economist for Human Development forthe East Asia and Pacific Region.
Inclosing, he said that adopting good practices and learning from similarcountries’ social and cultural experience will always yield numerous benefits.-VNA