People exercise at a park in HCM City. Health experts recommend that people carefully watch what they eat, be physically active, avoid the use of tobacco and alcohol, and lower stress levels. (Photo: VNA)Tienspoke at an annual national workshop on health and longevity held in Ho ChiMinh City on April 8.
Theaverage life expectancy of Vietnamese is 73.6 compared to 68.6 in 1999,according to the population census in 2019. However, Vietnamese womenare ill an average of a total of 11 years, compared to eight yearsfor men, she said.
“Non-infectious chronicdiseases are the number one killer today, with more than 70 percent of deathscoming from cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes,” she noted.
Thenumber of cases increase significantly from the age of 40 due to aging,inadequate nutrition, high consumption of tobacco and alcohol,stress, and other factors.
“Thenumber in Vietnam has reached alarming levels,” she said, addingthat “how we age depends hugely on how we behave.”
Shesaid that people should carefully watch what they eat, be physicallyactive, avoid the use of tobacco and alcohol, and lower stresslevels.
“Youshould listen to your body and see a doctor as soon as possible if illbecause early detection is important in treatment, reducing mortality andimproving quality of life,” she said.
Agingpopulation
In2011, Vietnam began to enter the period of an aging population and is oneof the countries with the fastest aging rates in the world.
In2017, the number of people 60 years and older accounted for 11.9percent of the total population.
This group willaccount for about 21 million people by 2038, or 20 percent ofthe population. The number will reach 27 million or 25 percent of thepopulation by 2050, according to the General Statistics Office.
Theaverage life expectancy of Vietnamese is 1.6 years higher than the worldaverage, but the population is about 16 years older than the worldpopulation.
Dr.Le Dinh Thanh, Director of HCM City-based Thong Nhat Hospital, said the rapidaging of the population poses huge challenges to a low to middle-income countrylike Vietnam, requiring the country to improve its social security andhealthcare system for the elderly.
Vietnamneeds to raise awareness about preparation for old age, includingplanning for financial security, and ensuring medical examination andtreatment as well as social policies for the elderly.
Infectiousdiseases kill more than 300 people per year in the country,while non-infectious diseases kill over 400,000, according to theMinistry of Health.
Asmany as 70 percent of deaths every year are caused by non-infectiousdiseases, of which 40 percent occur to people under 70 years old.
Non-infectiousdiseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure,mental illness and cancer, not only affect longevity but alsothe quality of life.
Expertsattribute the reasons for the rising number of cases to the fact thatpeople lack awareness about prevention of such diseases. As many as 49 percentof men smoke, and 77 percent of the population drinks alcohol, while 11 percentof them drink at an alarming level.
Saltconsumption in Vietnam is double the amount recommended by the WorldHealth Organisation (WHO).
TheMinistry of Health has set a goal to ensure by 2025 that deaths caused bynon-infectious diseases will fall to 20 percent from the current 70 percent.
Thegoal is to reduce the proportion of people smoking by 30 percent and thosedrinking alcohol by 10 percent, while reducing salt intake by 30 percent./.
VNA
