UN Secretary-General issues message on World Health Day
Baku, April 7 (AZERTAC). The United Nations officials today stressed the importance of providing adequate health services to older citizens and called on countries to commit resources to help their ageing populations lead a healthy and active life. “I urge governments, civil society and the private sector to commit attention and resources to ensuring that people everywhere have the chance to grow older in good health,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message to mark World Health Day, which is observed annually on 7 April. According to WHO, in the middle of the last century there were 14 million people in the world aged 80 years or older. However, by 2050, there will be almost 400 million people in this age group - with 100 million of them in China alone. Within the next five years, for the first time in history, the population of people aged 65 and older will outnumber children under the age of five. In his message, Mr. Ban said that an increase in worldwide longevity is putting pressure on countries` health services. “Older people make many valuable contributions to society - as family members, as active participants in the workforce, and as volunteers within communities. The wisdom they have gained throughout their lives makes them a unique resource for society,” he said. “But more older people also means an increased demand on healthcare and social security systems.” The UN chief noted that the greatest health threat for older people in all countries is now overwhelmingly from non-communicable diseases, with heart disease and strokes the biggest killers, and visual impairment and dementia the biggest causes of disability. He underlined that in low-income countries in particular, the incidence of non-communicable diseases is two to three times greater than in high-income countries. “This burden is carried not just by older people, but by their families and by society as a whole,” Mr. Ban said, adding that it is essential for these countries to count with the infrastructure and resources to deal with existing needs, and cope with the much greater demands expected in the future.
Other news in this section
