Washington, DC, January 10, 2002 - Aging populations present the countries of the Americas with

Establishing and implementing policies that contribute to healthy aging are the main challenges of the 21st century for all the countries of the Americas, PAHO says in its report Policies for Healthy Aging in Latin America.

Life expectancy at birth rose from 51 years at the beginning of the 1950s to more than 68 years -- and even 75 years in several countries. According to the United Nations, in the year 2000, 8.1% of the population in Latin America was over 60 years old. Projections for 2010 put the figure at 9.6% and by 2020, 12.4%.

Yet in the majority of countries in Latin America, investments in the health of children and adolescents are a high priority in public health, while the health needs of older persons and creating infrastructure for an aging society rarely receive the necessary attention.

Some countries such as Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and southern Brazil, which have the oldest populations in the Region, have recognized the need for health service delivery models for the elderly.

In 1996, the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO), in collaboration with PAHO, prepared a model law for comprehensive care of the elderly.

"Uruguay, whose population profile is similar to that of Europe, recently introduced draft legislation in the House of Representatives. This is a very positive step, because it opens a real window of opportunity for people to express their opinions, for the media to focus on the issue, and for civil society to mobilize around it," says Dr. Cristina Torres, Regional Adviser on Health Policy of the PAHO Program on Public Policy and Health.

Dr. Torres says other countries in the Region also should begin working on these issues, even though the problem may not be as great for them. "Fortunately," she says, "the trend is toward aging... and we would like it to be happy aging... We must bear in mind that passing a law takes two to three years."

One of the main functions of this legislative initiative is to offer a legal guarantee to older adults to protect them from exclusionary policies instituted by health insurance providers.

"If a person has been paying premiums to a given insurer over a specified period of time-each country will determine what that period will be-the insurer cannot drop him when he reaches the age of 60 or raise his premiums, which would constitute another indirect form of expulsion," says Dr. Torres.

This legal device goes hand in hand with PAHOs many other projects for the coming years, in which the common thread is the need to concentrate on health promotion and reduce the dependency of older adults.

The mission of the Aging and Health Unit, part of the Program on Family Health and Population under PAHOs Division of Health Promotion and Protection, is to promote the health of older people by developing the information base necessary for the creation of new infrastructures and programs needed to meet their needs and support the family caregivers.

The work of PAHO starts with the premise that good aging depends to a large extent on the prevention of disease and disability, maintaining physical activity and cognitive functions, and uninterrupted participation in social and productive activities.

PAHO serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization. Officially established in 1902, it is the worlds oldest health organization and works with all the countries of the Americas to improve health and raise the standard of living.

Related Information:
PAHO BOOK: Health of the Elderly: A Concern for All