PHA-Exchange> More on WHO and aging (2)

[Claudio]

From: "Dieter Neuvians MD" <neuvians at mweb.co.za>
> Subject: UN Health Agency Launches New Plan to Help Elderly People (2)

> for more information on this plan, please see:
> 
> WHO Press Releases
> World Health Organization launches new initiative to address the
> health needs of a rapidly ageing population
> 
> More than one billion people will be over 60 years old by 2025
> and, as populations age, the burden of chronic diseases will in-
> crease. To help tackle the public health implications of ageing,
> the World Health Organization (WHO) launched "Towards Age-
> Friendly Primary Health Care", new general principles that will
> serve as guidelines for community-based Primary Health Care
> (PHC) centres:
> http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2004/pr60/en/
> 
> WHO Site - About Ageing and Life Course
> 
> A demographic revolution is underway throughout the world. To-
> day, world-wide, there are around 600 million persons aged 60
> years and over; this total will double by 2025 and will reach
> virtually two billion by 2050 - the vast majority of them in the
> developing world:
> http://www.who.int/hpr/ageing/index.htm
> 
> WHO site - Age-Friendly Community-Based Health Care
> 
> Community-based health care is generally the first point of con-
> tact with formal health services and is often complemented by
> social care. Health care provided at the community level should
> also include a range of health promotion and disease prevention
> activities. However, with a few exceptions, community-based
> health care services are often fragmented and are not sensitive
> to the needs of their older users. They may have inadequate re-
> sources and little emphasis on health promotion, prevention,
> systematic screening and referrals -- all of which are essential
> for maintaining health of ageing populations:
> http://www.who.int/hpr/ageing/perth_framework.htm
>