Dementia in Vietnam: A situational analysis

Background

Vietnam has decided to develop an integrated national action plan that integrates dementia into existing non-communicable diseases (NCD) initiatives. Prior to formulating an effective plan, however, reliable information on current situation of dementia care, treatment and support in Vietnam is needed. This study was conducted to better understand the context, barriers and opportunities for improving dementia care, treatment and support in Vietnam and guide the plan development.

Method

A desk review was conducted using the Situational Analysis Desk Review Topic guide developed by the Strengthening responses to dementia in developing countries (STRiDE) project. Key WHO Global Dementia Observatory (GDO) indicators were collected, focusing on Policy, Service Delivery and Epidemiological assessments.

Result

Vietnam has a high level institutional and policy framework on aging, NCD, mental health and disability including the 2009 Law on the Elderly, which provides the legal umbrella for policies on older people. However, no dementia-specific policy exists and policies to promote healthy brain remain weak. Rapid aging significantly contributes to the explosion of NCD including dementia in Vietnam. There are 660000 Vietnamese people estimated to be living with dementia, with resultant dementia related costs of US$ 960 million. The healthcare system is not yet prepared for the shift to NCD from an acute, communicable disease burden in the past. Health service delivery is hospital-centric, with over-reliance on hospitals and under-utilization of primary care system that in turn is fragmented and poorly prepared to address the rising challenge of dementia. Social care and support specific for dementia is lacking although there is an impressive grassroots organisation of older people with nearly 100,000 branches.

Conclusion

To allow for a more harmonized response across the health sector and more effective use of limited resources, an integrated national action plan for dementia is sensible. However, Vietnam should take into consideration the potential for fragmentation and lack of dedicated resources being allocated to dementia. A new, integrated model of care focusing on a stronger primary healthcare system, community-based social care and a healthy aging approach is needed to improve dementia prevention, care, treatment and support in Vietnam.