Armenia reaches threshold of aging societies
07.03.2018,
16:14
According to the UN forecasts, Armenia has reached the threshold of aging societies, the head of the Association for the Health and Care of the Elderly, Artur Torosyan said today.
YEREVAN, March 7. /ARKA/. According to the UN forecasts, Armenia has reached the threshold of aging societies, the head of the Association for the Health and Care of the Elderly, Artur Torosyan said today.
The Association together with the United Nations Population Fund held today the first conference on "Geriatrics: Features of Diseases in Old Age." The event featured advanced doctors.
"According to the forecasts of the UN Population Fund, Armenia will soon cross the threshold of demographic aging. According to forecasts, by 2050 the number of people over 65 will make 22-23% of the overall population, up from today’s 13%,‘ Torosyan said.
"These indicators, perhaps, would not be so disturbing if healthy, socially integrated, physically active, busy and happy elderly people prevailed in our society," Torosyan added.
He noted that the current system of social services does not satisfy the whole range of social, psychological, health and legal requirements of older people.
"The level and availability of social and health services provided to the elderly continue to be a concern. Armenia lacks specialized services provided to the elderly and these people are poorly informed about their rights," Torosyan said.
According to him, Armenia is able to provide its residents with a healthy and decent old age so that older people do not become a burden for society, but for this it is necessary to change approaches to this issue. "We need to move from social care for the elderly to activities aimed at supporting active aging," Torosyan stressed.
The official number of the resident population in Armenia as of January 1, 2018 stood at about 2, 972,000 people, by 13,200 less from the year earlier.-0-
The Association together with the United Nations Population Fund held today the first conference on "Geriatrics: Features of Diseases in Old Age." The event featured advanced doctors.
"According to the forecasts of the UN Population Fund, Armenia will soon cross the threshold of demographic aging. According to forecasts, by 2050 the number of people over 65 will make 22-23% of the overall population, up from today’s 13%,‘ Torosyan said.
"These indicators, perhaps, would not be so disturbing if healthy, socially integrated, physically active, busy and happy elderly people prevailed in our society," Torosyan added.
He noted that the current system of social services does not satisfy the whole range of social, psychological, health and legal requirements of older people.
"The level and availability of social and health services provided to the elderly continue to be a concern. Armenia lacks specialized services provided to the elderly and these people are poorly informed about their rights," Torosyan said.
According to him, Armenia is able to provide its residents with a healthy and decent old age so that older people do not become a burden for society, but for this it is necessary to change approaches to this issue. "We need to move from social care for the elderly to activities aimed at supporting active aging," Torosyan stressed.
The official number of the resident population in Armenia as of January 1, 2018 stood at about 2, 972,000 people, by 13,200 less from the year earlier.-0-
