A significantly ageing population has become one of the most significant trends of the 21st century that is transforming economies and societies across the world. More importantly, along with a greater ageing population comes the need to address the challenges of social security, health, and income of senior citizens. In this context, it is important to understand how developing countries around the world are responding to these pertinent issues.

An older South Asia

A demographic revolution is underway throughout the world. It is estimated that the number of older people will more than double by 2050. This has far-reaching implications on all aspects of society. Today, worldwide, there are around 600 million persons aged 60 years and above. It is estimated that this total will double by 2025 and will reach virtually two billion by 2050. And the vast majority of them will be in the developing world.

Interestingly, the number of older persons in the Asia-Pacific region is rising at an unprecedented rate. It will triple from 453 million in 2012 to 1.26 billion by 2050. One in four people in the region will be over 60 years old by 2050. According to HelpAge International (HAI), “South Asia is growing older faster than anywhere else in the world. By 2050, one in five people in South Asia will be over 60.”

Thus, the ageing population is becoming more visible, because there are increasing evidences of declining fertility rates, lower infant mortality, and increasing survival at older ages. According to recent reports, total fertility dropped by half from five children per woman in 1950-1955 to 2.5 children in 2010-2015, and it is expected to continue to decline.

In Nepal, mortality began to decline in the late 1950s; fertility started to decline much later and at a much slower pace than mortality. Presently, we are in the stage of demographic transition where both fertility and mortality are declining. This will definitely have profound impacts on socio-economic development, as investment on older persons continues to grow.

It is relevant here to recall some of the progress made over the years to recognise the important contributions of senior citizens to their families and societies. More significantly, the Second World Assembly on Ageing, held in Madrid, Spain in 2002, produced a bold, rights-based and policy-relevant initiative to manage the challenges of the ageing population. This has been instrumental in building a society for all ages and addressing major issues that are most pertinent to the well-being of older people around the globe. As the next step, there should be some concrete policy actions to enhance the meaningful participation of senior citizens and advance their health and well-being into old age.

Upcoming disruptions

It is clear by now that population ageing has significant social and economic implications at the individual, family, and societal levels. Considering ageing as a development issue, healthy older persons are invaluable resources for their families, communities, and the economy. However, the participation of older people in development activities and their vast contributions to their families and societies are often ignored in most developing countries.

In order to address problems and challenges faced by older persons, HAI, together with civil society organisations, has been actively engaged in most developing countries to improve access to health and financial services. In Nepal, participatory research on the impact of the universal old age allowance was conducted to support advocacy for older persons’ rights to healthcare and social protection. The research clearly revealed that the old age allowance has been a lifeline for many senior citizens, helping improve their access to food, healthcare, and other social services.

However, the implementation of social security services targeted to senior citizens has not been effective at the grassroots. Still, many senior citizens do not get the allowance and other social protection services in time due to a lack of citizenship and other procedural constraints.  

Additionally, maintaining good health and access to healthcare is a primary concern of senior citizens everywhere. Towards this end, the demographic transition to an ageing population, which is most often accompanied by an epidemiological transition from the predominance of infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases, is connected to the increasing demand for healthcare and long-term medical care.

As a result, many developing countries are challenged by a doublecost burden. This is because the costs related to infectious diseases may still be high while the ageing population and the rising number of non-communicable diseases put additional pressure on resource-strained healthcare systems.

Some progress

On the other hand, there have been positive developments in safeguarding the rights of senior citizens in the country. The Senior Citizen Act 2006 is considered a landmark initiative to ensure the social, economic, and human rights of elderly citizens by protecting and providing social security for the elderly who are particularly poor, vulnerable, and socially disadvantaged.

But new thinking is needed to realise the rights and potential of older persons. Sometimes, there are questions as to why we need to invest public resources in older persons. There are, however, some convincing justifications that older persons have a fundamental human right to claims on social resources, such as healthcare. As a matter of fact, these claims are grounded in and justified by international law, for example, the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Despite all our efforts, there are some significant challenges to create enabling and supportive environments for the elderly in their families and in society. We still need to ensure their participation in the political, social, economic, and cultural life of society. Their past contributions to families and societies should be recognised and well respected. It is important to act now to harness potential benefits and minimise the disruptions that an ageing population is certain to bring in the years to come.

Bhandari is with Nutrition and Food Security Secretariat at the National Planning Commission Views expressed at personal