Geneva, 3 APR ( EFE).-in the year 2050 there will be worldwide approximately 400 million elderly people in 80 years, compared with the 14 million were in the middle of the 20th century, an Aging population that is of concern to the World Organization of the health (who).
The ageing of the population is taking place in all countries of the world, although each State is different from this transition phase, and the result is that “in a matter of years” will in the world have more people over 60 than children under age of 5, according to a who report released today.
With these data, the World Health Organization warns of the challenge of a phenomenon which is dedicated this year the commemoration of World Health Day (7 April) with the motto “good health add life to years”.
The challenge is a consequence that poor and developing countries have climbed on the bandwagon of the ageing of the population they are from years ago Europe, Japan and North America.
Are now countries of income low and means “those who are experiencing great change”, according to the who report, which predicts that you by the year 2050 80 per cent of the elderly live in these economies.
Chile, China and Iran will have a greater proportion of older people than United States, notes the report for example.
What is new for who is that a transition that in countries like France and Sweden lasted for decades “is happening very quickly” in poor and emerging countries.
In France, took over 100 years for the percentage of people over 65 years old increased 7% to 14%, while societies such as those in Brazil, China and Thailand have traveled that same demographic road in just 20 years.
Despite to the ageing of the population can be interpreted as a direct consequence of the socio-economic development, who warns about the problems of adaptation of social systems, health and health for this “graying express”.
Who bet in this context to focus on reduction strategies of non-communicable diseases (heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung diseases), which often are the result of behaviors or situations in early stages of life.
I.e., the risk of chronic problems of health in the elderly and elderly people will be reduced dramatically if imposed since childhood the formula of physical exercise, healthy food diet and limiting the consumption of alcohol and tobacco
Who has identified a number of “cheap interventions” to deal with non-communicable diseases, which are especially suitable for economies with fewer resources.
Is “preventive strategies”, as the increase in the tax burden of tobacco and alcohol, the prohibition of smoking in public spaces, reducing salt consumption and greater awareness about physical exercise and healthy diets.
According to the Director-general of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, “populations of elderly in low and middle-income countries face today one four times higher risk of death and disability for non-communicable diseases than the populations of the high-income countries”
Reading potentially positive, said Chan, is that “the majority of these diseases are preventable largely or not too costly in facing a treatment”.
For example, explains who, the detection and prevention of hypertension, risk factor key to detect heart problems and stroke, can be addressed in a cheap and effective way, but currently less than 15% of the people of advanced age in poor countries and in development they undergo a follow-up.
The objective of who with this campaign is also “reinventing aging”, change attitudes and social perceptions so that society respected and prized over the elderly.
According to this organization linked to the UN, poor health is not the only concern for people as they age.
Worry also that stigmatization and applied stereotypes on grounds of age, what prevents a full social participation, without reminding not only elders are a cost to the economies, but an important contribution, as a workforce which contributes in the cohesion of families and society.
“When a 100 year old man ends a marathon, as happened last year, we must reconsider the conventional definitions of what it means to be old.” “Already not hold conventional stereotypes of centuries”, said Margaret Chan.
