October 1 — International Day of Older Persons
2020-10-01
News Department
As the world today marks the thirtieth anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons, we must take seriously the extremely severe impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on older persons around the world — not only on their health, but also on their rights and well-being.
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Will the pandemic change the way we respond to ageing?
The year 2020 is the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, as well as the 30th anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons. This year, the world also witnessed the outbreak of COVID-19, which has caused tremendous shocks worldwide. During the outbreak of pandemics such as COVID-19, older persons face higher risks, and therefore specific policy and programme interventions must be adopted to raise awareness of the special needs of older persons. At the same time, it is also necessary to recognize older persons’ contributions to their own health and the multiple roles they play in the current and future prevention of and response to pandemics.
This year is also the “Year of the Nurse and the Midwife”. The 2020 International Day of Older Persons will highlight the role of health-care workers in promoting the health of older persons, give special praise to nursing personnel, and place emphasis on the role played by women. Women’s role is relatively undervalued, and in most cases they are not adequately rewarded.
The 2020 commemoration will also promote the implementation of the “Decade of Healthy Ageing 2020-2030” plan, bringing together UN experts, civil society, governments and health professionals to jointly discuss the five strategic objectives of the Global Strategy and Action Plan on Ageing and Health, and to recognize the progress and challenges in achieving these objectives. The Global Strategy is well integrated with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and the issue of ageing runs through these 17 Goals, especially Goal 3, which aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.” As Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said: “Acting in accordance with this strategy will help countries implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and ensure that everyone, regardless of age, has the opportunity to fulfil their potential in dignity and equality.”
The 2020 International Day of Older Persons aims to:
Introduce participants to the strategic objectives of the “Decade of Healthy Ageing.”
Raise awareness of the special health needs of older persons, and recognize older persons’ contributions to their own health and their role in the societies in which they live.
Further raise awareness and recognition of the role of health-care workers in maintaining and improving the health of older persons, with special attention to professional nursing personnel.
Put forward recommendations to reduce the gap in the health of older persons between developed and developing countries, achieving the goal of “leaving no one behind.”
Further people’s understanding of the impact of COVID-19 on older persons, and its impact on health policies, programmes and attitudes.
Background Information
On December 14, 1990, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 45/106, designating October 1 as the International Day of Older Persons.
Prior to that, the 1982 World Assembly on Ageing adopted the Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing. Later that same year, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the plan of action.
In 1991, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Principles for Older Persons through Resolution 46/91.
In 2002, the Second World Assembly on Ageing adopted the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, aimed at addressing the opportunities and challenges of population ageing in the 21st century and promoting the development of a society for all ages.
At present, there are about 1 billion people aged 60 and over worldwide. It is projected that by 2050, 1 in every 6 people worldwide will be aged 65 or over (16%), compared with 1 in 11 (9%) in 2019; by 2050, in Europe and North America, 1 in every 4 people will be aged 65 or over. In 2018, for the first time in history, the number of people aged 65 or over worldwide exceeded the number of children under the age of 5. In addition, the number of people aged 80 or over is projected to triple, from 143 million in 2019 to 426 million in 2050.
The number of older persons in developing countries will increase the most and the most rapidly; Asia will become the region with the largest population of older persons, while Africa’s growth rate of the older population will rank first in the world. In view of this, there is clearly a need to pay more attention to the special needs and challenges faced by many older persons, but it is equally important to pay more attention to the important contributions that, under conditions with appropriate safeguards, the majority of older persons can make to the functioning of society. In all efforts in this regard, human rights occupy a central place.
Source: Pacific Rim Institute for Development and Education (P.R.I.D.E.)