Imphal. April 7 (NNN): For the first time in the history of the world, there will be more adults aged above 65 than children under five by 2050.
This was stated by Dr H. Satyajoti Singh, Medical Research Officer, PBCR, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal. He was speaking at Mongpijang village, Sadar Hills, Senapati district as a resource person on Saturday in the one day World Health Day Seminar jointly organised by Gundung Cluster Committee and World Vision, Sadar Hills.
In the middle of the last century, there were just 14 million people in the world aged 80 and above, but by 2050 there will be around 400 million people in this age group, 100 million of them will be in China alone, said the resource person. He further said that people are living longer in most parts of the world where the income is high because of the success of public health care facilities in improving childhood survival and adult health.
Older people make valuable contributions to society as family members, as volunteers within communities and the wisdom they have gained throughout their lives makes them a unique resource for society, said Dr Satyajoti. He said that the greatest health threat to older people is noncommunicable diseases, heart diseases and stroke, and so we should ensure that no heavy burden is given to older people and their families and society should take proper care of them.
World Health Day is observed on April 7 each year. This day marks the anniversary of the World Health Organisation (WHO) which was founded on this day in 1948. For each World Health Day, WHO designates a health challenge or theme, such as Shape the Future of Life (2003), Road Safety (2005), International Health Security (2007), Anti-microbacterial Resistance : No Action Today No Cure Tommorrow (2011), and the theme for 2012 World Health Day is ‘Aging and Health’. As with other years’ themes, this theme is set in accordance to what WHO regards as current health issues within the world.
The slogan for 2012 World Health Day is : ‘Good Health Adds Life To Years’. This slogan helps reflect the WHO message that when people improve their health they enjoy fuller lives without the burden of health complications such as pain or disability, and remain productive longer and continue to contribute to society.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/numbers-of-senior-citizens-increasing/
