An elderly man in Hanoi, Viet Nam taking care of his grand son (Photo by Wanphen Sreshthaputra). Family life is undergoing profound transformation in Asia.

Experts on ageing examine changing environments for older persons

In response to the growing interest in the issue of population ageing, UNESCAP organized an expert group meeting last March which focused on well-being into old age and enabling environments for older persons. With nearly 0.4 million older persons in the region, accounting for 10 per cent of the population, rapid ageing presents countries in Asia and the Pacific with a variety of challenges, ranging from health care to living arrangements, employment and empowerment.

The meeting on the “Regional Preparations for the Global Review of Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing” was the third in a series held in the past few years. It focused specifically on the third priority area of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA); enabling and supportive environments for older persons, while the previous two had focused on health and long-term care needs and integrating ageing in development policies, respectively.

The main objective of the meeting was to provide a forum for experts to review and appraise progress made in implementing actions proposed earlier to ensure older persons benefit from such a supportive environment. The meeting more specifically discussed, from a regional perspective, recent policy developments with regard to social support for older persons, social and health security, housing, support for caregivers, as well as integration of ageing issues in the development agenda.

The meeting made several recommendations for the consideration of Governments and other key national actors in the field, including to facilitate the development of age-friendly physical environments conducive to “ageing in place” where community-level facilities and services are readily accessible; to enable broad-based and well-informed participation of older persons -- so that their voices and views are better reflected in policy making -- and to promote programmes and activities that aim to improve inter-generational support.

In the area of research and data collection, the meeting encouraged research on poverty in old age, the impact of social pensions on poverty reduction and the cost of social pensions and their fiscal space. It also encouraged training for government officials to build their capacity to mainstream and formulate ageing-related policies and programmes.

The meeting brought together 17 scholars and practitioners on ageing from 9 countries in the region, along with representatives from various United Nations agencies and international organization. It was held ahead of the High-level Meeting on the Regional Review of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing scheduled to take place in Macao, China from 9 to 11 October 2007.