The conference on social innovation for the inclusion of the elderly and people with disabilities was held by the Israeli Embassy; the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA); and the Vietnam office of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
MoLISA Deputy Minister Pham Minh Huan said Vietnam has paid attention to caring for people with disabilities and the elderly, as illustrated in measures to ensure their rights, rehabilitation and living standards.
It also issued the Law on the Elderly and the Law on Persons with Disabilities, and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, he added.
Ambassador Meirav Elion Shahar said the number of people with disabilities and elderly in the world is expected to hit 2 billion within the next five decades, and many of them will be unable to support themselves. Therefore, countries and social organisations should join hands in assisting the disabled and elderly. They should create opportunities for them to rehabilitate and utilise their own abilities.
Meanwhile, UNFPA Deputy Representative in Vietnam Ritsu Nacken spoke about the country’s rapidly aging population, stressing that care for the elderly is becoming a critical problem facing the Government.
Vietnam needs to properly evaluate the capacity of people with disabilities and the elderly so it can provide them with equal opportunities and support, she noted.
At the conference, participants looked into facts about the targeted groups in Vietnam, their social inclusion and access to employment, and early diagnosis and intervention for children with disabilities./.
VNA/VNP
