Policy for ageing announced

At the United Nations Second World Assembly on Ageing, which took place in Madrid from 8 to 12 April, WHO launched Active Ageing: A Policy Framework (see www.who.int/hpr/ageing). Its recommendations include: tackling factors that lead to early onset of disability, such as poverty and lack of education; controlling tobacco use and alcohol abuse in all age groups; increasing affordable access to medication and supportive devices such as eye-glasses and walkers; ensuring appropriate nutrition; and supporting care-givers.

Thanks to unprecedented health advances in many parts of the world, the age group of 60 and over is growing faster than any other. This changes the proportion of needs in a society as a whole, and calls for corresponding changes in policy. Alex Kalache, coordinator of the Ageing and Life Programme at WHO, explains: "The right policies will benefit us all. In the first place they will lead to fewer premature deaths in the highly productive stages of life. Good policies will also lead to fewer disabilities and more people enjoying a positive quality of life and actively participating in society as they age." n