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Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015

Planning for an ageing population: The WHO perspective The proportion of older people in the population is increasing in every country in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific region. Member states have made significant strides in preventing and managing ill health, and promoting healthy behaviours and access to better health services. Overall, population ageing speaks to the success of public health efforts in the region. At the same time, population ageing poses complex challenges for social and health systems – and for society as a whole. The enormity of these challenges is sometimes reflected in the portrayal of population ageing through terms such as ‘tsunami’ – a disastrous phenomenon entailing huge costs for governments, communities and families. While this is not literally the case, older people do represent a steadily growing population group with specific needs that must be considered in health policy. Governments must be prepared to deal with the rapid ageing of populations. They also need to recognise that this rapid 32 Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015 demographic change is happening alongside another massive shift in which non-communicable and chronic health conditions are dominating the burden of ill health in the Western Pacific region. As a result, countries must rethink how health services are designed and delivered in order to establish a continuum of care, from health promotion and disease prevention to treatment and rehabilitation. Population ageing is both inevitable and predictable. In 2010 the region had more than 235 million people – more than 13 per cent of the population – of 60 years of age or older. This proportion will nearly double between 1995 and 2025. The proportion of older people will grow even faster in developing countries, giving them less time to prepare and take action. For example, the number of people in Fiji aged 60 years and above is projected to nearly double in 20 years, from about 7.9 per cent in 2010 to 14.6 per cent in 2030. Shin Young-soo Remaining fit and active can help older people prevent disease and can promote independence Arek Malang / Shutterstock.com


Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
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