Global aging represents a significant achievement in development, with adults over 60 being the fastest-growing demographic worldwide. This demographic shift will influence labor markets, immigration policies, healthcare systems, social protection frameworks, and economies. Rapidly aging societies must develop adaptable strategies focusing on marginalized groups, particularly women who often live longer with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and chronic illnesses while bearing most caregiving responsibilities.
The report “Unlocking the Power of Healthy Longevity: Demographic Change, Non-communicable Diseases and Human Capital” highlights the importance of life course investments to enhance health outcomes, reduce poverty, address gender inequity, boost productivity, and improve overall well-being. It calls for country-specific initiatives to invest in healthy longevity in response to demographic changes, pandemic threats, and climate change.
Key messages from the report include:
1. The global population is aging rapidly; by 2050, at least one-third of the world's population will be over 60 years old. Countries need to adapt to both opportunities and challenges presented by this demographic transition.
2. Aging populations will affect labor markets and social policies significantly. Investing in the health and wellbeing of working-age individuals is essential.
3. Promoting healthy longevity requires effective prevention and control of NCDs such as diabetes, respiratory diseases, heart diseases, cancers, and depression.
4. Tackling NCDs is crucial for equitable health outcomes since poorer populations are more susceptible due to higher rates of smoking, alcohol use, obesity, lower quality healthcare access and affordability issues.
5. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), NCDs account for over 70% of all deaths causing significant disease burden.
If managed correctly through bold government actions to prevent and control NCDs:
1. Healthy longevity could save 150 million lives in LMICs by 2050.
2. A life-course approach that includes child nutrition improvement measures such as girls' education initiatives along with taxes on tobacco products can lead to substantial economic benefits.
The World Bank emphasizes that achieving healthy longevity necessitates cross-sectoral collaboration within countries as well as among development organizations across various sectors including financial protection measures long-term care services fiscal policies etc.,
The World Bank commits its support towards national efforts aimed at improving adult population health wellbeing protecting families from economic devastation:
1. Scaling up high-impact interventions addressing financial protection needs long-term care requirements supporting data integration cost-effective clinical services into primary healthcare systems.
2. Excise taxes on harmful products like tobacco alcohol sugar-sweetened beverages can mobilize additional revenue enhancing productivity extending working lives boosting incomes tax revenues ultimately contributing towards dignified aging via expanded social protection programs informal sector workers.
Healthy longevity encompasses prioritized costed interventions policy changes tailored according country-specific contexts enabling ownership implementation success,