Tam Anh – VNVC Healthcare Ecosystem and Vietnam Association of the Elderly sign comprehensive healthcare partnership, donate 10,000 influenza vaccine doses to older adults nationwide

In observance of the International Day of Older Persons and the Action Month for Vietnamese Older Adults, the Vietnam Association of the Elderly and the Tam Anh – VNVC Healthcare Ecosystem have announced a partnership to implement the project “Comprehensive Healthcare for Older Adults in Vietnam.” The project aims to build a comprehensive care model that gives older adults more medical support so they can live healthier, more autonomous, and happier lives. On this occasion, the VNVC Vaccination Center System donated 10,000 doses of next-generation influenza vaccine to older adults nationwide.

For the first time in Vietnam, the nationwide network of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly works with a leading system of preventive healthcare, vaccination, and specialized medical examination and treatment that is safe and reputable in Vietnam. Together, the parties are establishing and developing a continuous healthcare model, from disease prevention while people are still healthy to early detection, treatment, and recovery when they fall ill. The goal is to help older adults maintain their health, physical strength, and ability to care for themselves, and to live independently, for longer and more happily.

This partnership also contributes to realizing the direction set by Politburo Resolution 72: a strong shift from a treatment mindset to a prevention mindset, with a focus on protecting, caring for, and improving health comprehensively and continuously across the life course, working toward the target of an average life expectancy of 75.5 years by 2030, including at least 68 healthy life years.

A continuous healthcare model for older adults

Speaking in support of the Action Month for Vietnamese Older Adults, Nguyen Minh Hang, MD, PhD, Director of the Medical Center, VNVC Vaccination System, emphasized that Vietnamese life expectancy is steadily rising, but the number of healthy life years has not kept pace. Many people spend nearly the last decade of their lives with illness and declining physical strength, which lowers their quality of life, increases dependence, and adds to the burden of care on families and the healthcare system.

"We hope that older adults will not only live long but also live healthy, care for themselves, and enjoy their later years with their families. The partnership with the Vietnam Association of the Elderly will bring disease prevention, vaccination, and medical care, from basic to specialized, closer to older adults and make them easily accessible right in their local communities," Dr. Hang said.

Under the terms of the partnership, the Vietnam Association of the Elderly, the VNVC Vaccination System, and Tam Anh General Hospital will work together to introduce additional continuous healthcare programs for older adults, from disease prevention and early detection to treatment, management of underlying conditions, and recovery, through a variety of formats.

In the community, through the Association's network of Intergenerational Self-Help Clubs, experts, doctors, and healthcare workers from the Tam Anh – VNVC Ecosystem will bring health knowledge and healthcare activities closer to older adults, from guidance on disease prevention, nutrition, physical activity, fall prevention, and safe medication use to early recognition of unusual signs so that they can seek timely medical examination.

In particular, mental health and psychology experts will support older adults through counseling, early-detection screening, and early and specialized treatment support. In addition, the parties will work with the relevant authorities to organize thematic sessions that help older adults recognize health misinformation and guard against scams, contributing to the protection of their health, mental well-being, and safety in daily life.

At Tam Anh General Hospital, in addition to its system of subspecialties covering various conditions, older adults receive comprehensive examination, screening, treatment, and health management through multidisciplinary coordination across geriatrics, nutrition, exercise medicine, rehabilitation, psychology, and other specialties, with the aim of controlling underlying conditions and maintaining physical strength, mobility, and long-term quality of life.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, President of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly, as people grow older, the risks of having multiple chronic diseases at the same time, of complications, and of declining mobility and ability to care for themselves rise steadily. For this reason, the Association places particular emphasis on bringing healthcare activities closer to older adults, right where they live, with a focus on “disease prevention from an early stage and from a distance”.

“We hope that older adults at the local level will have more opportunities to access health knowledge and healthcare services right in their communities. In this way, each person will not only be looked after when they are ill but will also be able to live joyfully and healthily, take part in social activities, and continue contributing their experience and wisdom to their families and communities,” Mr. Binh said.

People's Teacher Prof. Ngo Quy Chau, MD, PhD, Medical Director of Tam Anh General Hospital Hanoi, said that in his clinical practice, older adults often have multiple chronic diseases at the same time, while their ability to recover gradually declines. Even a single bout of infection, such as influenza, can destabilize underlying conditions, leading to hospitalization and prolonged intensive care; after a serious illness, older adults may experience reduced mobility, going from caring for themselves to needing support from family members.

According to Prof. Quy Chau, caring for older adults requires combining the three pillars of vaccination, physical activity, and nutrition with early detection and control of underlying conditions. “The goal is not only to treat disease but also to preserve physical strength, mobility, and the ability to care for oneself in old age,” Prof. Chau emphasized.

Mr. Ngo Chi Dung, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of the Tam Anh – VNVC Healthcare Ecosystem, said that population aging requires the healthcare system to prepare more integrated long-term care capacity for older adults. “With its strengths in a team of skilled expert doctors, a system of subspecialties, modern medical technology, and comprehensive capabilities in prevention, vaccination, diagnosis, and treatment, Tam Anh – VNVC hopes to bring the achievements of advanced medicine closer to millions of older adults, so that longer lives are truly accompanied by good health and quality of life,” Mr. Dung emphasized.

10,000 influenza vaccine doses donated to older adults

At the signing ceremony, the VNVC Vaccination Center System donated 10,000 doses of next-generation influenza vaccine to the Vietnam Association of the Elderly, marking the start of healthcare and proactive disease prevention activities for older adults in the community.

Influenza is a common infectious disease, but it can have serious consequences in older adults, especially those with cardiovascular or respiratory disease, diabetes, or multiple chronic diseases. It can cause pneumonia and respiratory failure, destabilize underlying conditions, and increase the risk of hospitalization. Older adults with influenza often recover more slowly and may come to depend on family members for help with daily activities.

Annual influenza vaccination is one of the important measures for preventing the disease and reducing the risk of severe influenza, complications, and hospitalization. The donation of 10,000 influenza vaccine doses is not only practical support for older adults but also marks the start of the “prevention early and well in advance” approach, helping to protect health and limit events that can impair the ability to care for oneself in old age.

Over many years, VNVC has donated hundreds of thousands of influenza vaccine doses and organized free vaccination for older adults nationwide, disadvantaged children, veterans, families eligible for state preferential policies, police and military personnel, and many community groups. The 10,000 influenza vaccine doses donated to the Vietnam Association of the Elderly on this occasion mark the beginning of the partnership program. Building on this foundation, the two sides expect to roll out more large-scale programs with broad and far-reaching impact, delivering practical, lasting value for the health of millions of older adults and the community.

Vietnam is entering a period of rapid population aging, with about 16.5 million people aged 60 and older, accounting for 16% of the population. Average life expectancy has reached 74.7 years, but the number of healthy life years is only about 65.4, meaning that many people spend nearly the last decade of their lives with illness and declining health, and in need of support.

Statistics show that about 60.9% of older adults have three or more diseases; noncommunicable diseases account for 95% of the disease burden; 55% have difficulty getting around; and 45% have difficulty with daily activities.

Against this backdrop, the Program on Healthcare for Older Adults to 2030 stipulates that, from 2026, older adults will receive free health checkups or screening at least once a year and have a health management record established; by 2030, at least 90% are to have noncommunicable diseases detected, treated, and managed.