In an ominous warning, the United Nations has urged the world to do more to prepare for the impact of a rapidly ageing population, particularly in developing countries.
Within 10 years the number of people aged above 60 will pass one billion, a report by the UN Population Fund said. The demographic shift will present huge challenges to countries’ welfare, pension and healthcare systems. The UN agency also said that more had to be done to tackle “abuse, neglect and violence against older persons”. The number of older people worldwide is growing faster than any other age group.
The report titled Ageing in the 21st Century: A Celebration and a Challenge, estimates that one in nine people around the world are older than 60.
The elderly population is expected to swell by 200 million in the next decade to surpass one billion, and reach two billion by 2050.
This rising proportion of older people is the outcome of improved nutrition, sanitation, healthcare, education and economic well-being, the report says. But the UN and a charity that also contributed to the report, HelpAge International, report that the ageing population was also being widely mismanaged.
There are more and more cases of physical and mental abuse, including neglect, suffered by the elderly at the hands of their families. It is slowly becoming a widespread social problem, particularly in urban areas, one which countries still have not come to grips with. Developing countries like Pakistan, where provisions for old age benefits and medical care are severely lacking, need to take action now. With such a steep shift in demographics imminent, the government needs to take steps to create mass awareness regarding the needs of the elderly.
A healthy habit of volunteering at old-age homes and hospitals needs to be encouraged among the youth to inculcate sensitivity regarding requirements of the older generations. Small steps taken at a societal level are crucial for preparing the society for taking on the responsibility of caring for their old ones. As of now, this compassion and understanding for the elderly is sadly lacking in the country. With incidents of senior citizens being evicted from homes, sent out to beg on streets and/or condemned to dreary understaffed old homes, too common for anyone’s liking, immediate steps are required to remedy the situation and stop it from getting worse.
“In many developing countries with large populations of young people, the challenge is that the governments have not put policies and practices in place to support their current older populations or made enough preparations for 2050,” the agencies said.
The report warned that the skills and experience of older people were being wasted, as many were under-employed and vulnerable to discrimination. HelpAge said that more countries needed to introduce pension schemes to ensure economic independence and reduce poverty in old age. It stressed that it was not enough to simply pass legislation, the new schemes also needed to be funded properly.
Old is gold, but not in Pakistan
