CPS: Decade of Healthy Ageing. Embrace exercise and eating a healthy diet
GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (Ministry VSA), says that we are currently in the ‘Decade of Healthy Ageing 2021-2030.’
It is an opportunity to bring together different entities including the private sector for 10 years of concerted, catalytic, and collaborative action to improve the lives of older people, their families, and the communities in which they live.
According to the United Nations, population ageing is poised to become one of the most significant social transformations of the twenty-first century, with implications for nearly all sectors of society, as well as family structures and intergenerational ties.
The number of people aged 65 years or older worldwide is projected to more than double, rising from 761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2050. The number of people aged 80 years or older is growing even faster.
Population ageing is an irreversible global trend. In 2021, one in 10 people worldwide were aged 65 or above. In 2050, this age group is projected to account for one in six people globally.
Women tend to live longer than men and thus comprise the majority of older persons. In 1950, women could expect to live almost four years more than men globally. In 2021, the difference between the two had increased to more than five years.
The number of individuals categorized as older working-age (55 to 64 years) is projected to surge from 723 million in 2021 to 1,075 million in 2050, and eventually to 1,218 million by 2100.
On October 1, the world celebrated United Nations International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP). The theme for 2023 was “Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons: Across Generations.”
CPS calls on members of the community to promote healthy ageing by embracing exercise, eating a healthy diet, and supporting elders on a daily basis with the daily challenges experienced in life.
A longer life brings with it opportunities, not only for older people and their families, but also for societies as a whole. Additional years provide the chance to pursue new activities such as further education, a new career or pursuing a long-neglected passion.
Older people also contribute in many ways to their families and communities. Yet the extent of these opportunities and contributions depends heavily on one factor: health. Embrace exercise and eating a healthy diet and continue to support older people.
