WHO with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, call for greater attention to India’s ageing population

Our News Bureau – Mumbai

The World Health Organization and the WHO Country Office for India, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, called for a greater attention to the ageing of India’s population. The event was organised in New Delhi and its theme was ageing population implications for health policy and for the promotion of a society where the elderly can live full, enriching and productive lives.

Dr Nata Menabde, WHO Representative to India said, “The challenge for India, as for all countries over the world, is not only to add further years to life but more importantly to add life to years and to ensure that the elderly can live full, enriching and productive lives. For this to be possible, good health is essential.”

With the steady increase in life expectancy and the elderly population, the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs, like heart disease and stroke, cancers, diabetes, mental health problems, vision and hearing impairment) will continue to grow, putting significant additional demands on health services.

“With trend towards nuclear family, care of the elderly population at the family level will become difficult. Long-term care of old and very old will need additional inputs from the families and governments”, said Dr Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia.

In the years to come, there will be a need to further improve the access of the elderly population to preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative services. “The launch of the National Programme for Health Care of the Elderly (NPHCE) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is an important step in that direction”, added Dr Menabde.

Appropriate and age-friendly health care services for the elderly will need to be stepped up. Measures at all ages of life, “from the womb to the tomb”, need to be taken to prevent sufferings and the skyrocketing of health costs, Plianbangchang informed. A balanced diet, refraining from smoking and maintaining a reasonable physical activity can make a major difference. Good health at all ages will add life to years.

To inform and sensitise all authorities and actors and to call for action in this domain, the WHO Country Office for India in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, is planning a series of consultations, workshops and activities involving stakeholders at the national, state and local level.

The key messages for highlighting the issue of the elderly include: Older people are a valuable resource for their societies and should feel valued; Good health throughout life helps us make the most of the positive aspects of ageing; Societies, which take care of their older populations and support their active participation in daily life, will be better prepared to cope with the changing world.