ISLAMABAD
\nDeveloping Asia and the Pacific are unprepared to secure the well-being of its rapidly aging population as the growing share of older people in the region faces challenges from low pension coverage to health problems, social isolation, and limited access to essential services.
\nWhile longer lifespans reflect the region\u2019s development success, comprehensive policy reforms are urgently needed to support the welfare of older people, according to Aging Well in Asia: Asian Development Policy Report, released today by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at its 57th Annual Meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia.
\nThe number of people aged 60 and older in developing Asia and the Pacific is set to nearly double by 2050 to 1.2 billion\u2014or about a quarter of the total population\u2014significantly increasing the need for pension and welfare programs as well as health care services.
\nAt the same time, economies have an opportunity to reap a \u201csilver dividend\u201d in the form of additional productivity from older people, which could boost gross domestic product in the region by 0.9% on average.
\n\u201cAsia and the Pacific\u2019s rapid development is a success story, but it\u2019s also fueling a huge demographic shift, and the pressure is rising,\u201d said ADB Chief Economist Albert Park. \u201cGovernments need to prepare now if they\u2019re going to be able to help hundreds of millions of people in the region age well.
\nPolicies should support lifetime investment in health, education, skills, and financial preparedness for retirement. Family and social ties are also important to foster healthy and productive populations of older people and maximize their contribution to society,\u201d Park added.
\nAccording to the report, 40% of people over age 60 in Asia and the Pacific lack access to any form of pension\u2014with women disproportionately affected, as they are more likely to do unpaid domestic work. As a result, many older people in the region have no choice but to work well beyond retirement age to survive. Among those still working at age 65 or older, 94% work in the informal sector, which typically doesn\u2019t provide basic labor protections or pension benefits.
\nPhysical and mental health challenges also increase with age. Around 60% of older people in Asia and the Pacific do not attend or receive regular health checks, while 31% report depressive symptoms owing to illness, social isolation, and economic insecurity. Older women in the region are also more likely than older men to suffer from ill health, from depression to diabetes and hypertension.
\nThe report recommends a wide range of policy measures to support healthy and economically secure aging. Among these are government-assisted health insurance and pension plans, improved health infrastructure, and free annual check-ups and lifestyle evaluations.
\nPolicymakers should aim for universal health care coverage, while basic labor protections should be extended to older informal workers, the report suggested. By making mandatory retirement ages more flexible, helping older people stay healthy, and providing them with suitable work opportunities as well as lifelong learning and skills development, economies in the region can help older people stay productive longer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Developing Asia and the Pacific are unprepared to secure the well-being of its rapidly aging population as the growing share of older people in the region faces challenges from low pension coverage to health problems, social isolation, and limited access to essential services. While longer lifespans reflect the region\u2019s development success, comprehensive policy reforms […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":404280,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-404267","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n