Vietnam launches free elderly health checks and nationwide DNA drive for unidentified war dead

The Vietnamese government announced that from 2026 seniors will receive at least one free annual health examination or disease screening. The measure follows Prime Minister's Decision No. 1116/QĐ‑TTg and aims to improve elder care nationwide.

A parallel "500‑day" campaign was intensified to locate, retrieve and identify the remains of unidentified martyrs. A national DNA‑sample collection effort was launched on 24 June, targeting relatives of unknown soldiers, and has so far helped identify 1,109 remains recovered in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Additional government initiatives include the start of three rental‑housing projects and five urban rail lines in Hanoi, the implementation of 20 strategic science‑technology tasks across ten ministries, and the promotion of UNESCO‑listed Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark. Tourism rose to over 10 million international visitors in the first five months of 2026, while foreign‑direct investment surged 2.5 times to $7.946 billion.