PRESS
RELEASE

Time Is Now to Deal with Healthy Aging in the Future

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 11, 2003 (PAHO)—Latin America is not doing well in preparing for the coming demographic revolution sparked by the huge growth in the number of people over age 60 years between now and 2050, according to a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization official.

Dr. Alexandre Kalache cited the example of Brazil, saying that that country did not educate its children in the past or offer satisfactory health services. The result is that now 30 percent of Brazil’s population is marginalized.

Kalache is the coordinator of the Aging and Life Course Program of PAHO/WHO. He spoke today on lifetime prevention of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in an address to the III Global Forum on Integrated NCDs Prevention & Control, being held in Rio de Janeiro.

Between now and the year 2050, the population of people age 60 and over will grow from 200 million to 1.2 billion in the developing world, which represents a growth of 600 percent. But Kalache called for the need to develop actions that will guarantee a healthy old age for the adults of today.

He said that aging doesn’t necessarily mean the accumulation of risk factors for NCDs. The possibility of aging healthily should become a priority in public policies worldwide, since disabled elderly people are not economically active and also a burden to public finances.

Healthy diet, adequate shelter, economical and environmental conditions and many other biological e psychosocial factors have a direct influence on future quality of life. Therefore, besides smoking, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet – considered the main risk factors for NCDs -- poverty and pollution are also factors in healthy aging.

Studies conducted by PAHO/WHO show that, even though the difference in life expectancy between poor and rich countries is becoming smaller, aging in Africa or in North America, for example, are still very different experiences. This happens because, according to Kalache:

• "The developed world became rich before it became old."
• "The developing world became old before it became rich."

The consequence of this is that in rich countries aging has never been as pleasant as it is now. In contrast, for third world populations and their governments, aging populations have become a challenge.

Kalache called on the international community to prepare now for the challenge of aging. If measures are not taken now, there won’t be another chance, he warned.

PAHO was established in 1902 and is the world’s oldest public health organization. PAHO works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and the quality of life of its people. It serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO).