Ageing & Development, Issue 1 Issue 1 April 1998 International Year Ageing: the forgotten for Older People development issue The United Nations’ International Year of Older Persons (IYOP), When the International Year of Older More than half the world’s older starting in October 1998, is a unique Persons (IYOP) starts, on October people live in developing countries. opportunity to focus on ageing as a 1 1998, South African Asia is development issue. President Nelson expected to It is estimated that more than 20 Mandela will have for many of the 550 account for years will be added to the average turned 80. That puts him million people over 60 about 58 per life of an individual by the end of this in the category of the around the globe, age is cent of the century. If these years are not to be ‘oldest old’, probably the the label that makes global total of wasted, then policies must support last and most other aspects of their older people marginalised minority in by the year older people’s capabilities and value lives invisible. their contribution to development. today’s world. 2025. The over-80s are The overall objective of IYOP is to Among the qualities the fastest-growing group among promote the UN’s Principles for most noted both by Mandela’s older populations all over the world. Older Persons, adopted in 1991, admirers and critics, age rarely which are based on: independence; features. Yet for many of the 550 The impact of this global ageing is participation; care; self-fulfilment; million people over 60 around the widely feared as a burden, dignity. globe, age is the label that makes measured in terms of demand for The focus for activities within the UN other aspects of their lives invisible. health care, income and family system is around: The significant and changing needs, support. The benefits are hardly * the situation of older persons and contributions, of older people are noticed but they include the wealth * lifelong individual development routinely ignored in development, of skills and experience that older * multigenerational relationships much as previously ‘minority’ issues people bring to the workplace, to * development and the ageing of such as gender, the environment public life and the family. populations. and children’s rights are now Continued on Page 3 The UN has launched a newsletter, routinely considered. Countdown to 1999, and reformulated its Bulletin on Ageing to promote IYOP. International initiatives for 1999 are updated on Ageing: why this newsletter? the Internet at: http:// www.un.org/ The capacity of older people to continue to support themselves and to dpcsd/dspd/ageing contribute to the wellbeing of those around them will make a crucial difference to prosperity and security in every country of the world. At the same time, the In this issue: availability of appropriate support systems for older people is becoming increasingly important with population ageing. • Global Ageing in the 21st Century Ageing is a mainstream development issue and one which has been ignored for far too long. • Old Age Does Not Mean Dependency In Ageing and Development we hope that all those concerned with development and poverty eradication will find issues of real interest. A&D will • Ageing Action be covering research, news from NGOs, governments and aid agencies and • Gender and Ageing progress towards mainstreaming ageing in projects, policies and institutions. Turn to the back page for a coupon and more information about the Ageing • The Ageing and and Developing Network. Development Network 1 Ageing & Development, Issue 1 Global Ageing in the 21st Century ! There is a pervasive belief, As a result of declining mortality For some Sub-Saharan African shared by many old people and lower and more stable fertility countries, the proportion of older themselves, that old age is a rates, the proportion of people over people is expected to fall over the next disease, which we catch in 60 in developing regions is 25 years, but the actual number will our sixties and never shake expected to increase from 7% to increase significantly. off. But poverty remains the more than 12% of the great disease for older general population by Oldest Old 2025. The number of the proportion of people in the developing The number of the older people will people over 60 in world, not old age " people over 75 is also more than double - developing regions is Introductory remarks at a increasing in growing from 330 expected to increase seminar on Nutritional developing countries. In million to 855 million. from 7% to more than Vulnerability of Older India one person in a 12% of the general People. This growth is hundred is over 75 and population by 2025 happening with this is expected to rise unprecedented to 2.5% by 2025. It is a The African Gerontological speed. It took 115 myth that because life Society (AGES International) years for the proportion of France’s expectancy is low, older populations will be holding its 3rd older population to increase from do not exist in developing countries. A Regional Workshop in 7% to 14%. In some developing woman aged 65 in Bangladesh can Nairobi from 10 - 17 April countries, that degree of change expect to live for a further 13 years. will take just 20 years. Within that 1999. The workshop entitled Data largely taken from the excellent time, for example, in Bangladesh, Ageing in Changing publications produced under the the number of older people will Societies: Africa preparing auspices of Kevin Kinsella, US Bureau increase from six million to 17 for the next millenium will of the Census, National Institute on million (10% of the total examine migration, the AIDS Aging (see Contacts, page 7). pandemic, conflict and population). violence, changing household structures and social welfare issues. Contact: Professor Nana Apt, Fax: + 233 (21) 50-0940, email: Healthy Ageing is a Political Imperative [email protected] The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is working to raise awareness of the opportunities to mobilise the capabilities of older populations in social and economic policy. Building on its 1997 Montevideo Summit of Latin American Legislators on Ageing it plans a similar event for May 1998 in the Caribbean. WHO’s 1999 World Health Day on 7th April 1999 will The Caribbean forum will bring together senior officials from ministries responsible have as its theme ‘healthy for serving older people, together with representatives of non-governmental ageing’. organisations and international agencies. The objective will be to build on regional experience by identifying models of good practice in maintaining the health and autonomy of older people. The forum aims to draft a Caribbean Charter on Health ! Unlike other major social and Ageing in preparation for the International Year of Older Persons. Later in and economic changes, it is the year, at a Pan American conference of health ministers, PAHO will be possible to predict ageing mobilising interest and political will around a four year plan for healthy ageing. with a considerable degree of confidence. This gives policy PAHO argues that Governments need to revise their thinking: an makers an opportunity to ageing population is a resource not a burden - but it will become a develop and adapt strategies burden unless policy and investments are focused on the capacity to meet the needs of of older people. tomorrow’s elderly. If this is not done, population ageing PAHO will also co-sponsor a conference on Ageing and Development with the may indeed become the next Inter American Development Bank where they will be using results from a pilot social crisis to face the survey to demonstrate the returns from appropriate investments in ageing and developing world. " development. Peter Lloyd Sherlock For more information contact Martha Pelaez on [email protected] 2 Ageing & Development, Issue 1 The Doubly Marginal - Poor and Old Gender and Aging (Dec 97) Argentina is one of the few developing Individual case studies show that is an 8 page brief which economies that has already undergone most older villeros receive no family analyses demographic data rapid demographic support; many and trends, produced by the ageing. In research depend on International Programmes based on elderly Rapid acceleration of personal strategies Center (IPC) of the US ‘villeros’ - people demographic ageing has for a good part, if Bureau of the Census. Future living in pockets of generated insufficient not all, of their issues will cover health, urban poverty in interest from academics or income. A small economic security, care Buenos Aires - Peter policy makers but significant giving and societal responses Lloyd Sherlock number have no to old age. Another paper in examines how the income at all, the International Brief series State and other relying on the examines Aging Trends in institutions can combine to form charity of neighbours or the contents South Africa (Aug 97). patterns of resource opportunities and of rubbish tips. Contact US Bureau of the constraints. In his conclusions, Lloyd Sherlock Census - see Contacts His book reveals a wealth of information emphasises the importance of section, page 7. about the realities of life for the older inclusion. The old should be urban poor, making the case for policy considered as part of a household to be based on more understanding and unit and welfare policies targeted Ageing and Social Policy, less assumption. One set of case accordingly: ‘If the welfare of other Global Comparisons, edited studies explores the effects of local household members, particular by Peter Lloyd Sherlock and welfare initiatives, with detailed analysis young children is ignored, elderly Paul Johnson is a stimulating of the role of a range of grassroots individuals are themselves likely to set of papers on ageing and organisations.