Global Focus on Healthy Ageing and Elderly Healthcare

GENEVA (Xinhua) — The global population is aging at an accelerated pace. Countries across the world have listed healthy aging as a core public health priority. They are working together to build a multi-tiered elderly health security system and steadily deliver the goals of the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030).

To tackle population aging, the Japanese government has enacted a series of policies. In 1986, the Japanese Cabinet issued the Outline of Countermeasures for a Longevity Society, aiming to maintain social and national vitality amid an aging society. In 1989, Japan formulated the Ten-Year Strategy for Health and Welfare of the Elderly, widely known as the “Welfare Vision”. It clarified the orientation of elderly welfare and policy objectives, striving to build a socially and economically inclusive environment for seniors and people with disabilities. The most pivotal legislation is the Long-Term Care Insurance Act, enacted in 1997 and implemented in 2000. This law has become the cornerstone of Japan’s elderly care system

Similar to China’s framework, the Dutch pension system consists of three pillars: the state basic pension (AOW), occupational pensions and personal pensions. The first pillar, the state basic pension, is fully funded by the government and available to every eligible resident. Anyone who legally resided in the Netherlands between the ages of 15 and 65 qualifies for this state pension upon retirement, regardless of nationality or employment history. This universal basic income guarantees a minimum standard of living for all elderly citizens. This policy has attracted large numbers of international migrants and eased labor shortages to some extent. Pension benefits are calculated according to legal residence years between age 15 and 65. Those who resided continuously for the full 50 years receive 100% of the full AOW pension. The pension amount is reduced by 2% for each missing year of residence.

The latest WHO assessment shows that the population aged 60 and over keeps expanding worldwide. Chronic diseases, mobility impairment and cognitive decline have become the leading health threats to older adults. Many nations are confronted with insufficient primary healthcare for seniors, a severe shortage of long-term care manpower, and uneven distribution of rehabilitation assistive devices. The gap in elderly health services is especially prominent in low- and middle-income countries.