Demoghraphic transition, epidemiological transition and one possible impact: Ageism

The ageing of the world's population is an indicator of improving global health. The world's elderly population-people 60-years of age and older-is 650-million. By 2050, the "greying" population is forecast to reach 2-billion. This change will affect the age-sex-structure and the share of age-groups that require far-reaching economic and social adjustments in most countries.

Aging is a biological, chronological and social process with its unavoidable problems. This process will affect the various sectors of the society such as health services, health expenditures, social security organizations.

Ageism is a process of systematic stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old. Ageist attitudes are perpetuated in popular culture, businesses, health and other human service professionals. In order to have more healthy and active elderly group, social security systems should develop multi-sectoral solutions for the long-run. Health, education and employment policies must be parallel to these changes. Otherwise, the problems will persist not only for aged but for the young generation also.

In conclusion, it is evident that unprecedented demographic-changes are continuing well into the twenty-first century, are transforming the world. The declines in fertility reinforced by increasing longevity have produced and will continue to produce unprecedented changes in the structure of all societies. The profound, pervasive and enduring consequences of population ageing present enormous opportunities as well as enormous challenges for all societies.

Since the aging of the population is beyond the control of policy makers and employers, they should gain some peace of mind from the fact that aging is not a major cost driver. Instead, policy makers and employers should look at the more significant factors driving health care spending, including new medical technology, the retreat from tightly managed care, providers of growing ability to demand higher payment rates from health plans and the hospital nursing shortage.