Humankind is ageing
The average life expectancy in the
world has increased from 46 to 66 since 1950.According to United Nations
secretary general Mr Kofi Annan, by the middle of this century, the ratio of
older people in society will have doubled from 1 in 10 persons to 1 in 5.
According to Annan, demographic ageing, long evident in developed countries, is
now occurring at a swift pace in developing countries as well.Annan said the
global transformation affects individuals, households, communities and all areas
of government and society. ?Policy measures and general attitudes on ageing,
must evolve too,? he said. Annan said ageing issues need to be better integrated
into the larger context of development. He said older people need to participate
fully in the decisions affecting their lives.?And all of us must recognise how
trends such as globalisation, urbanisation and migration, as well as health
crises such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic, affect the place of older persons in
society,? Anna said. The second World Assembly on Ageing will be held in Madrid,
Spain next April. Annan said the assembly offers an opportunity to raise
international awareness of the goals to promote greater intergenerational
solidarity and to build on the first world assembly in Vienna 20 years ago. He
urged the international community to do everything in its power so that all men
and women can age with security and dignity. ?The seeds of healthy ageing are
planted early in life; that is the challenge we must take up without delay,?
Annan said.