“It is not age that limits
the health and participation of older people. Rather, it is individual and
societal misconceptions, discrimination and abuse that prevent active and
dignified ageing” – World Health Organization
Key facts (provided by the WHO website)
·
The number of people today aged 60 and over has
doubled since 1980.
·
The number of people aged 80 years will almost
quadruple to 395 million between now and 2050.
·
Within the next five years, the number of adults
aged 65 and over will outnumber children under the age of 5.
·
By 2050, these older adults will outnumber all
children under the age of 14.
·
The majority of older people live in low- or
middle-income countries. By, 2050, this number will have increased to 80%.
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April 7 – it’s my grandmother’s 76th birthday, my
cat – she turns 12, but more importantly, globally, it’s World Health Day; and this
year’s theme is Aging and Health.
This Saturday, World Health Day will be celebrating the
anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO). It is “a global campaign, inviting everyone – from global
leaders to the public in all countries – to focus on a single health challenge
with global impact. Focusing on new and emerging health issues, World Health
Day provides an opportunity to start collective action to protect people's
health and well-being.”
This year’s focus – how good health adds life to your years
– intends on informing aging men and women on how they can lead full and
productive lives and continue to contribute to the growth of their families and
communities.
Most importantly, WHO targets the six stereotypes that are
conflicted with the process of aging:
1. Older people are “past their sell-by date”
2. Older people are helpless
3. Older people will eventually become senile
4. Older women have less value than younger women
5. Older people don’t deserve health care
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