Vietnam looks to reduce the rate of poor households by nearly 2% each year and grant assistance to 95% of needy children between 2014 and 2020. It was heard at a conference on social welfares by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) in Hue city, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on December 23. During the period, the rate of the mentally ill under rehabilitation treatment in care centers will rise from 3%-10%. The MOLISA will perfect the social support system step by step while restructuring over 432 care facilities to extend help to all living below the poverty line. The sustainable poverty reduction schemes will come aligned with growth and development, making it easier for residents to earn stable income. Delegates also mulled over the framework project on national archive on social welfares for the 2015-2025 period, and the 2014-2015 plan to provide the mentally-disabled with social care and rehabilitation services. At present, the underprivileged group makes up for 28% of total population. Nearly 8.5 million of them are the elderly, over 6.7 million living with disabilities, over 3 million households in financial need and nearly 170,000 are drug abusers. Each year, around VND6 trillion ($28.5 million) in State allowance is earmarked for social beneficiaries. The coverage of social care policies has so far risen to 3% of the population. By late this year, the rate of poor households falls to 8% from 9.6%. (vietnamplus.vn Dec 23)
