Visit to WHO/EURO from Finland, 8 October 2002

Dr. Rüdiger KrechManager, Healthy Ageing

World Health Organization

Why is ageing THE key challenge for European societies?

• Eighteen out of the 20 countries in the world with the highest percentages of older people live in Europe

• Between 13 and 18% of the population are over 65 years old

• Within the next 20 years, there will be a highly significant increase in the proportion of people in this age group

Why is ageing THE key challenge for European societies?

• Fastest growing population segment will be the very old (80+)

• In the next 30 years, the proportion of people aged over 80 years (as a share of population 65+) will increase from 22 to over 30%.

Why is ageing THE key challenge for European societies?

This will have profound effects on the organisation, performance and financing of health and social services as, despite of action towards health promotion, the demand on health and social services will increase.

Injuries (22707)Cardiovascular

Diseases (33381)

Respiratory Diseases (6415)

NeuropsychiatricDisorders (31000)

Diabetes (2516)Malignant neoplasms (17643)

Other Noncommunicable Conditions (6336)

Digestive Diseases (7087)

HIV/AIDS (764)

Tuberculosis (1603)

Diarrhoeal diseases (1238)

Maternal Conditions (1562)Childhood diseases (432)

Respiratory Infections (3891)

Other causes (2787)

Perinatal conditions (2875)

Nutritional deficiencies (1420)

Source: WHO, World Health Report 2001

Burden of disease in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in Europe, 2000 (’000s)

Sense Organ Diseases (4150)Musculoskeletal Diseases (5305)

DALYS, by broad cause group and WHO Region, 1999

AFR EMR EURSEAR WPR AMR

DALY = Disability adjusted life-year

Communicable diseases, maternal and perinatal conditions and nutritional deficiencies

Noncommunicableconditions

Injuries

25

50

75 %

0–1 1–4 5–14 15–24 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65–74 75–84 85+0

20

40

60

80

100

Infectious and parasitic diseasesCancerCardiovascular diseasesRespiratory diseases

Other diseasesExternal causesIll-defined conditions

Age groups (years)

Fig. 5. Main causes of death by age in the European Region, mid-1990s

Concept Active Ageing

• Ageing should be put higher on the political agendas

• Promote healthy lifestyles• Reduce health risks that would

increase dependency• Increase quality of life

Gender, Health and Ageing• 657 for every 1000 women in Europe at

age 60 and over• Women more often experience violence,

and discrimination• Women are more likely to be poor in

older age than men• Women are more likely to suffer

disability in older age

Ethics, health and ageing

• Resource allocation• Explicit or implicit rationing

of care in older age• Human rights and older people

in living facilities

Socioeconomic development and ageing

• Poor of all ages suffer more disabilities and earlier deaths

• Rich – poor gap has been increasing in all parts of the world

• Failure to address this has serious consequences for global economy

Definition of Active Ageing

“Active Ageing is the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age.”

Main action areas of WHO• International agreements on health

development for older people• Better coordination between health and

social services at local level• Which new products are really healthy for

older people?• Quality of life indicators• New societal debate on ageing