Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man (eleventh from the right) poses a photo with the new executive committee of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly in its congress on January 14. (Photo: VNA)

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man (eleventh from the right) poses a photo with the new executive committee of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly in its congress on January 14. (Photo: VNA)

Held both in in-person and virtual forms, the congress gathered over 400 delegates, representing some 9.7 million members of the association nationwide.

In her opening remarks, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly’s Central Committee Pham Thi Hai Chuyen said over the last five years, the association has actively engaged in the formation of important legal documents and policies designated for the elderly.

Chief among these are the national action programme on older people for the 2021 – 2030 period and policies on social security and health insurance which have helped enhance elderly care and promote their role in society, she said.

The Vietnamese elderly have also further upheld their role in building the Party and the government, preserving traditional cultural values, safeguarding the country’s sovereignty over land and maritime territories, maintaining social order and security, fighting crimes and corruptions, protecting the environment, and developing new-style rural and civilized urban areas.

NA Vice Chairman Man, for his part, hailed the association for its dedicated commitment in fostering the elderly care and engaging them in socio-economic development and national construction and safeguarding. The association has been functioning well as the voice of the elderly, representing their wishes, legitimate rights and benefits, he said.

The congress elected a 93-member executive committee, with Nguyen Thanh Binh, permanent deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission, voted as new chairman for the 2021-2026 term.

According to the association, there are some 11.4 million senior citizens at 60 years old and above across Vietnam, accounting for 12 percent of the population. Over 9.7 million among them are members of the association, up 1.1 million from the figure reported at the start of the association’s previous term.

Now, 95 percent of the elderly in Vietnam are health insurance holders. Most hospitals are giving priority in healthcare services for those aged above 80 years old.