Reducing chronic diseases in Vietnam

Asia is going through a time of unprecedented population change, with people living longer and increased demand on income security and health services. Over the past few decades, Vietnam has become increasingly urbanised, with more people exposed to air pollution and environmental and lifestyle changes (such as changes in diet and physical activity) which increase the risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes, especially as the population ages.

Traditionally, many people relied on their families for health support and care in their old age, but with shrinking family sizes and increased migration, they can no longer rely on this support. Good quality health and care services are often not available, with a lack of trained staff, medicine and supplies and disconnection between care in hospitals and the community. There is also a gender divide, with men more likely to wait longer before seeking help with a health problem, and women less likely to receive good care for their health problems.

How we’re helping

Age International is helping to curb the epidemic of chronic disease in Vietnam by involving communities in prevention and bringing the management and prevention of diseases from hospitals into communities and homes.

We’re seeking to achieve this by:

Our Older People’s Associations not only provide a space for older people to make social connections, take part in regular physical exercise and improve their mental and physical wellbeing, but also help raise awareness of health conditions and promote healthy and active ageing. With trained volunteers, they provide regular health screening, including blood pressure, blood sugar and weight checks, teach members how to manage long-term conditions and provide information on accessing health services. They also collaborate with local community health centres and other agencies to provide health checks and are building relationships between communities and health services to improve referrals and follow-up for older people who are at risk of or diagnosed with a chronic disease.

What we aim to achieve

We’re working in Vietnam as part of a group of organisations working to improve the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases across South-East Asia.

The group aims to reach:

Reaching the people at the highest risk of diabetes and high blood pressure has the potential to dramatically reduce deaths, and just a modest investment in prevention and healthcare for chronic diseases could have a significant economic benefit for the country. The project is capturing evidence about the impact and economic benefit to help lobby for these improvements to be made across South-East Asia.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 825026