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Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong - Deputy Minister of Health - signed a document sent to the Chairpersons of the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities regarding the implementation of several key tasks in the field of social protection and prevention and control of social evils in 2026.

Ensure full implementation of social assistance policies, prioritizing vulnerable groups.

In implementing Resolution No. 01/NQ-CP of 2026 on social security, the Ministry of Health requests the People's Committees of provinces and cities to direct the implementation of key tasks on social protection and prevention and control of social evils in 2026, specifically:

Develop a plan to implement the conclusions of General Secretary To Lam at the working session with the Party Committee of the Ministry of Health and central ministries and agencies on the care and protection of children in special circumstances (according to Notice No. 432-TB/VPTW dated November 26, 2025 of the Central Party Office) and the conclusions of General Secretary To Lam at the working session with representatives of the Government Party Committee and central ministries and agencies on the situation of implementing the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's laws on people with disabilities (according to Notice No. 444-TB/VPTW dated December 5, 2025 of the Central Party Office).

At the same time, proactively and regularly monitor the developments of natural disasters, epidemics, and other force majeure events affecting the lives of people in the area to inform and guide people to proactively prevent, respond to, and minimize damage to their lives. Allocate resources from the local budget and mobilize resources from organizations and individuals to overcome the consequences and ensure timely relief for the people;

Regularly review and compile information on food and essential goods shortages faced by people affected by natural disasters, storms, floods, food shortages, and other force majeure events, in order to provide timely support as stipulated in Government Decree No. 20/2021/ND-CP dated March 15, 2021, on social assistance policies for social protection beneficiaries. Priority should be given to children, people with disabilities, the elderly, and other social assistance beneficiaries.

Local authorities must ensure that 100% of eligible individuals receive social assistance and social retirement benefits in accordance with Government Decree No. 20/2021/ND-CP dated March 15, 2021, and Decree No. 176/2025/ND-CP dated June 30, 2025. They must promptly and fully implement monthly social assistance, monthly social retirement benefits, health insurance cards, and other social assistance policies for community-based social protection beneficiaries as prescribed, in accordance with the beneficiaries' conditions and local characteristics; and continue to implement cashless social assistance payments.

Implement the provision of care and support for social welfare beneficiaries at social assistance facilities (including public and private facilities) in accordance with regulations. Proactively review and compile a list of disadvantaged individuals in the area not covered by Decree No. 20/2021/ND-CP to submit to the People's Council at the same level for decision on granting these individuals social assistance policies appropriate to local conditions.

The Ministry of Health also requested provinces and cities to effectively implement the Law on the Elderly; the National Strategy on the Elderly to 2035, with a vision to 2045; the Plan for implementing the "Month of Action for Vietnamese Elderly People", "Vietnamese Elderly Day", and "International Day of the Elderly"; and to strengthen the implementation of work on the elderly to adapt to population aging (according to Directive No. 35/CT-TTg dated December 23, 2025 of the Prime Minister).

Continue to strengthen the local Elderly Affairs Committee; mobilize social resources to support the issuance of health insurance cards, the elimination of temporary and dilapidated housing for the elderly; plan and invest in the development of a network of elderly care facilities, nursing homes, daycare centers, community centers, and other forms of elderly care at home and in the community. Promote solutions to develop the "silver economy," contributing to socio-economic development in the locality.

The organization implements Directive No. 39-CT/TW of the Party Central Committee on strengthening the Party's leadership over work related to persons with disabilities; the Law on Persons with Disabilities; the Plan for implementing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the Program to assist persons with disabilities for the period 2021-2030; and the plan for organizing the Vietnam Day of Persons with Disabilities and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Implement the Social Work Development Program for the period 2021-2030, and the Social Assistance and Rehabilitation Program for people with mental illness, autistic children, and people with mental disorders for the period 2021-2030. Organize the implementation of the Plan for the Network of Social Assistance Facilities according to Decision No. 966/QD-TTg dated August 17, 2023, of the Prime Minister; invest in the construction, upgrading, and repair of social protection facilities to improve the quality of care for the elderly, people with disabilities, and children in special circumstances; develop a team of professional social workers to assist and care for vulnerable and disadvantaged people; strengthen effective management measures for public and private social assistance facilities in the area; implement the allowance and subsidy regime for civil servants, public employees, and workers working at public social assistance facilities.

Strengthening the prevention and control of social evils, and managing social security data in a synchronized manner.

The Ministry of Health requests provinces and cities to develop plans for preventing and combating prostitution in their areas; focus on implementing preventive measures in the community in conjunction with disseminating laws on prostitution prevention and control; assess the prostitution situation; organize specialized inspections of service businesses that are easily exploited for prostitution activities (according to Government Decree No. 217/2025/ND-CP dated August 5, 2025); maintain and expand effective models of harm reduction interventions and community reintegration support for sex workers; and enhance the capacity of enforcement teams to ensure synchronized and effective implementation.

Simultaneously, strengthen inter-agency coordination in receiving, protecting, and supporting victims of human trafficking; promptly and properly receive, protect, refer, and provide policy support to victims and those in the process of being identified as victims of human trafficking; promote communication about the schemes and tactics of human trafficking criminals, especially online scams aimed at forced labor; organize training to consolidate and improve the knowledge and skills of staff working in victim support after organizational restructuring; conduct screening and identification of signs of human trafficking to provide counseling, support, and pilot models for supporting community reintegration for victims of human trafficking.

The Ministry of Health also requested the People's Committees of provinces and cities to urge the People's Committees of communes, wards, special zones, and social assistance facilities to review, clean, standardize, and update data in the social protection sector databases (Social Protection Beneficiary Database, Persons with Disabilities Database, Social Assistance Facility and Social Worker Database), ensuring the criteria of "Accurate, Complete, Clean, Live, Unified, Shared, Synchronized, and Continuous," serving to connect and synchronize with the national shared database, the national population database, the health sector database, and the work of reducing and simplifying administrative procedures based on data.