Working children and young people
Social issues under economic transformation and integration in Vietnam, Volume 2
Social issues as a consequence of economic development and social reforms in Vietnam
Authors:
G.T. Long (ed)
Publisher:
Vietnam Development Forum, 2008
This is the second of two volumes looking at social issues in transition economies in reference to Vietnam.
The document provides an evaluation of prospects and challenges of growth and poverty reduction. Estimates show impressive growth in Vietnam. Agricultural reform policies are found to have contributed to this growth. Further achievements for the country are constrained by rising inequality between areas and regions. The author recommends institutional innovation and agricultural reforms through different channels.
In the last ten years the primary health care systems in Vietnam have been reformed.Several thousand community health centres were rebuilt and reequipped in the late 1990’s. The author found that investments resulted in marginal increases in utilisation and the quality of services. Failure to provide care appears to be an equity problem as ethnic minorities and the poor are not being treated. Policy measures on the incentives and pressures faced by facility staff are important in dealing with this.
Children working in the streets is one of the most pressing social issues in urban Vietnam. Case studies are analysed. The two main reasons that the children need to work is the current poverty of their families and their feeling of familial duty to help the families overcome this situation. Parental expectations create tensions against government policies to overcome street children making there lives more difficult. Policy measures need to be carefully considered to take account of the diverse situations of these children.
Another emerging issue involved in the urbanisation of Vietnam is rural to urban migration. The author analyses this and finds internal migrants have low accessibility to social services such as education, health care, housing, vocational training, and loans and credit. Macroeconomic measures to promote rural development are suggested. Encouraging the business sector to provide further protection for labourers will also help access issues.
Finally the paper investigates elderly populations in Vietnam. Trends of concern include a decline in the elderly being supported by others and a constant rise in elderly people living alone. These situations need to be thoroughly considered in social policy making processes.
