Ageing Societieskey transformation in the 21st Century

Economic Security and Social Protection for Older Persons

Jeffrey JamesHelpAge International

Demographic change

• Irreversible in nature

• Condensed in time

• Comprehensive in scope

Rapid ageingtime taken to increase the proportion of older people from 7% to 20%

RoK Japan China England Germany Italy USA0

20

40

60

80

100

2636 35

80 80

92 96

Rapid Ageing

• There are more people over 60 than children under 5

• By 2030 people aged 60 and over will outnumber children under 10

• 12% of Caribbean population 60+• Ageing well is a universal concern that is

relevant for all ages• Ageing is a key driver of non-communicable

diseases

Ageing impacts all spheres of life

No other force is likely to shape the social and economic policies in the 21st Century as ageing societies

Economic Security

• Social insurance programmes in place• Coverage varies across the region• Significant sections of the older population do

not receive a contributory pension• People in the informal sector largely excluded

Inadequate Income

• Many older people do not have a reliable source of income

• Only few countries have social/old age pensions in place

• Family is the main source of income security for older people in the Caribbean

• Many older people still work to support themselves, but are denied access to micro-credit

Public Assistance and Social Pension in Select Countries

Country Public Assistance

Old Age Pension

Monthly Figure US$

Antigua √ 95Barbados √ 276BelizeDominica

√√

√ 5037

Grenada √ 74

Guyana √ 50

Jamaica √ 15

St Vincent √ √ 66Suriname √ 151Trinidad and Tobago

√ 325

Inadequate Income

Anxiety

Stress

Low self-

esteem

Lack of nutritious food

Inability to

access health care

Health systems and ageing

Transition from infectious diseases

to

Non-communicable diseases (Chronic)

Health

– Main Chronic illnesses common to OP– Hypertension,– Diabetes,– Arthritis

– Other illnesses:– - Alzheimer’s disease– - Cancer– - Hearing loss– -Heart disease and heart attack– - Vision loss

In short

• We are living the success of Cairo 1994• Population challenges in 2014 are different • All countries are ageing as an irreversible

trend• These changes affect the core of each society

Actions Going Forward

• The Cairo vision must acknowledge the demographic transition from young to old

• Uphold the rights based approach to development, thus ensuring the enjoyment of rights throughout the life course

• Sexual and reproductive health rights must be affirmed through the life cycle, hence including older women in all reproductive health programmes

Enjoyment of Rights Throughout the Life Course

Actions Going Forward

• Ensure secure and dignified lives in old age through social protection floors across the life cycle and deliver universal and equitable health care.

• Ensure data disaggregation by age and gender in the Cairo monitoring framework

Secure and Dignified Lives