The campaign, organised by the HCM City Young Physicians Association in co-operation with the Viet Nam Youth Federation, will examine and provide free medicines to around 1,000 older people in the city.
They will also be counselled on how to prevent diseases, including those of the heart, diabetes, and arthritis. Older people suffering from one of these diseases will be guided in how to prevent them from worsening.
Vu Tri Thanh, chairman of the HCM City Young Physicians Association, said older people have contributed to the country's development, and it is the responsibility of younger people to care for them.
Faced with a decline in immunity and resistance, the former are susceptible to diseases, he added.
Figures from the city Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs show that there were 497,561 people aged 60 and above as of last year, accounting for 6.3 per cent of the population.
Similar campaigns have started in all other 62 provinces and cities, with some of them scheduled to last two months. Around 32,500 people will be examined and treated and 500 others will get eye surgeries.
According to WHO, there are around 600 million people aged 60 and above in the world. The number is expected to double by 2025 and rise to two billion by 2050, most of them in developing countries.
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