Regional Framework on Healthy Ageing (2018–2022)
Overview
Ageing is a lifelong and inevitable process. It is a progressive change in the physical, mental and social status of individuals, which begins right from the mother’s womb and ends with death. The nourishment and care that the mother and her unborn baby receive determine how the newborn will fare in the world.
An individual’s functional ability continues to grow throughout childhood and adolescence, reaching its peak in early adulthood and declining naturally thereafter. The slope of this decline is determined by several external factors such as food and nutrition; appropriate health care; access to housing; adequate and safe water supply; education and employment opportunities; a healthy and supportive environment; and the extent of integration of the elderly population into society.
Under nutrition in the womb may lead to disease conditions in adult life, such as overweight/obesity, and cardiovascular, circulatory and endocrine disorders. Obese or overweight children and adolescents run the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, circulatory disease, cancer and musculoskeletal disorders in adult life and old age. Similarly, exposure to behavioural health risks such as smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet, a sedentary lifestyle or exposure to toxic substances at work [during a person’s adult life] also infl uence health out comes in older age. The focus on ageing therefore is not simply to prolong life, but also to improve the quality of life and well being of older people. Healthy ageing is the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age.
