Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among the elderly in Việt Nam are increasing rapidly, raising serious health concerns, experts say.
Many older adults suffer from chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, osteoarthritis, and cancer. Mental health issues like cognitive decline, depression, and memory loss are also common.
According to the Ministry of Health, the average life expectancy in Việt Nam is over 73.6 years. However, the number of years lived in good health is only about 65.4.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Văn Tân, head of geriatrics at HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, explained that although people live longer, their health worsens with age. About 75.5% of elderly people have one or two chronic diseases, and 1.34% have three or more.
He noted a shift in disease patterns among seniors from infectious diseases to chronic NCDs like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and mental disorders.
Healthcare costs for elderly patients are seven to eight times higher than for children, placing a heavy financial burden on poor families and those in remote areas.
Phạm Chánh Trung, director of the population division at the city’s Department of Health, said most elderly people suffer from more than two NCDs requiring lifelong treatment. These illnesses affect their mental health and daily activities.
However, access to counseling and healthcare services remains limited. The healthcare system has not adapted quickly enough to the country’s rapidly aging population. The quality of elderly care is low, and funding for supporting seniors who live alone is insufficient.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Đỗ Kim Quế, deputy director of Thống Nhất Hospital, said the rise in NCDs is mainly due to longer life expectancy. He also pointed to unhealthy diets, poor nutrition, contaminated and fast foods as contributing factors.
Modern lifestyles, including less physical activity and higher levels of stress and anxiety, also worsen these health problems, he added.
Experts agree that early detection and timely treatment are critical to managing NCDs in the elderly.
Analysts predict the healthcare sector will focus on strengthening grassroots healthcare to provide primary care, disease prevention, and elderly services that are convenient and accessible. Gradually, they plan to develop a long-term care model for seniors.
They also stress the importance of regular annual health check-ups, maintaining electronic health records for all elderly citizens, and building health databases to analyze disease trends in aging populations.
A recent report from the Pasteur Institute in HCM City showed that over three million people in southern Việt Nam had hypertension in the first four months of 2025. Of these, more than 1.4 million are receiving treatment.
During the same period, over 1.2 million people were diagnosed with diabetes, with 656,000 under management or treatment.
NCDs include four main groups: cardiovascular diseases (such as stroke, heart attack, and hypertension), cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes.
In Việt Nam, these diseases cause nearly 80% of all deaths.
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