Named “S-Health”, the app was officially launched on January 28 by the General Office for Population and Family Planning (GOPFP) under the Ministry of Health, the Vietnam Association of the Elderly, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) with financial and technical support from UNFPA.
“S” of S-Health indicates “Silver” for older persons, and “S” is also the shape of Vietnam as a country, meaning that Vietnam’s elderly is the centre of the country’s strength, wisdom and the sources of continued socio-economic growth.
The app will provide information on common diseases of older persons, how to maintain good and relevant nutrition, as well as how to care for older persons, using videos and pictures.
Information for older persons to prepare themselves in prevention and responses to COVID-19 is also available. It is updated regularly from official information sources of the Ministry of Health.
In addition, function for older persons to monitor their health indicators daily such as blood pressure or blood sugar levels will also be offered, along with an SOS button which older persons or their family members can use to call for ambulance or emergency support.
It will feature directory of facilities in the neighbourhood which offer health care services and equipment for the older persons. By entering a keyword related to the desired area, the users can promptly receive a list of qualified health facilities registered with the Ministry of Health. In the future, it will connect family doctors like a “Grab” taxi network.
Addressing the event, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lan, Deputy Director General of the GOPFP said that Vietnam is one of the countries with the fastest rate of population ageing in Asia. The transition period from the "population ageing" period to the "aged population" is about 17-20 years. This creates many difficulties in developing policies and programmes for older persons, while older persons are still facing difficulties and challenges in their lives and need more attention, care and support from the government and communities.
Population ageing is part of the Mega Trends, and it is a global phenomenon. Between 2015 and 2050, it is estimated that the number of older persons aged 65 and above worldwide is set to increase from 703 million to about 1.5 billion, accounting for 15.5% of the world’s total population.
Vietnam has officially entered the "ageing phase" since 2011, and the number of older persons (aged 65 years and above) account for 7% of the total population. By 2036, Vietnam is projected to shift from an “ageing” to an “aged” society. Currently, the number of older persons (65 years or over) is at 7.4 million, and is expected to increase to 23 million by 2053, accounting for 20% of the total population.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on older people and put a spotlight on their health and rights in society. While the virus spreads among persons of all ages, older people and those with underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of developing severe conditions and having higher death rates. It is clear that the fatality rate for older persons is higher, and for those over 80, it is five times higher than the global average.
Naomi Kitahara, UNFPA Representative in Vietnam, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic amplifies and highlights the vulnerabilities and specific needs of the elderly. Older people should be a priority in Vietnam’s efforts to overcome COVID-19 to ensure no one is left behind in humanitarian response as well as in development effort, she suggested, adding that S-Health will enable older persons to continue doing the things they value and prevent them from social isolation and care dependency.
The app is expected to go through a trial phase and adjustments will be made towards the launch of the updated and final version on the Vietnam Day of the Older Persons in June 2021.
