GERIATRICS-FUTURE SOCIAL MEDICINE

Abstract

The problem of aging has draw the attention of World Health Organization in 1982 and again in 2000 and expressed concern on the increasing population of aged over 60 years of age and poses the growing policy challenging in both developed and developing countries.  ILO in 2002 has warned in its report that the number of old people aged 60 years and over are increasing throughout World in a “demographic resolution”.  According U N Population data  and their analysis, the persons over 60 years and their rate will be accelerated over the next 50 years.  In developing countries population 60 years are expected to increase 33.3 percent in 2050 from 11.7 percent in 1950 and aged over 60 years to increase 19.3 percent from 6.4 percent for the same period in the developing countries. Similarly the persons over 80 years in the total population in the developing countries in expected to rise from 0.7% percent in 2000 to 3.3 % percent in 2050.  But this is rise in expected to be 400 percent in developing countries.