UN health agency launches new plan to help elderly people

With more than 1 billion people projected to be over 60 years old by 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) today launched a new set of principles aimed at providing better care for the elderly.

Released during the International Federation on Ageing's Seventh Global Conference in Singapore, the strategy, called "Towards Age-Friendly Primary Health Care," aims to tackle problems associated with getting older, such as diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and musculoskeletal problems by strengthening community health centres.

"WHO has recognized the critical role these centres play in the health of older people worldwide and the need for these centres to be accessible and adapted to the needs of the older population," said WHO's Dr. Catherine Le Galès-Camus. "Supporting older people to remain healthy and ensure a good quality of life in their later years is one of the greatest challenges of the health sector in all countries."