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The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Most social protection systems comprise contributory and non-contributory programmes, which can include universal benefit schemes, social insurance, social assistance and public employment programmes. Benefits can include child and family benefits, sickness and health-care benefits, disability benefits, old age and survivor benefits, employment injury benefits, unemployment benefits and employment guarantees, maternity benefits, income support and other benefits in cash and in kind. Social protection can be provided in many ways, with States establishing programmes according to their particular context and historical background.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- While the extra cost of disability varies greatly depending on the availability and financial accessibility of goods and services, researchers have calculated that it can amount to almost 50 per cent of an individual's income. A recent study on older persons with disabilities estimates that, on average, disability costs are approximately 65 per cent higher than the net weekly pre-disability household income. In addition, the economic cost of living with a disability includes foregone benefits or opportunity costs (e.g., lost income of individuals with disabilities or of family members who cannot work, or who work less, if the household includes one or more persons with disabilities), the impact of which depends on many factors, including the type of impairment, the household's socioeconomic status, the individual's work status and the policy context (e.g., the existence of disability benefits).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities who have not acquired entitlements to a contributory pension during their working lives face considerable difficulties in maintaining an adequate level of income security towards the end of their lives, when adequate non-contributory pensions are not available. Moreover, as they are often less likely to have a partner or to marry, intra-family support as an additional source of income security is often insufficient and unreliable. Therefore, social protection programmes are necessary to guarantee income security for older persons with disabilities and to provide support services. As disability rates are considerably higher among older persons, there is a growing demand for health and social care and support services to enable them to continue living independently and with dignity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 19b
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur will be guided by the following overarching considerations in all aspects of her work:] Inclusiveness. The Special Rapporteur will work in an inclusive manner, aiming to ensure that the needs and concerns of persons with all different kinds of impairment are taken into equal consideration and that her work is age-sensitive, paying special attention to children, adolescents and older persons with disabilities. She will be attentive to the specific situation of persons with disabilities who may be subject to multiple or aggravated forms of discrimination on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic, indigenous or social origin, property, birth, age or other status, and the multiple layers of barriers that these intersections may create. She will also work across social and economic groups and layers and do her utmost to ensure that no one is left behind in her deliberations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Mandate, working methods, work plan for the mandate 2015, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has also taken first steps towards collaborating with other special procedures mandate holders. Initial efforts of collaboration have included a joint statement made on Human Rights Day, on 10 December 2014, with other special procedures mandate holders on climate change and human rights, and joined efforts regarding issues of common concern with the mandate holders on the right to food, older persons and the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to participate in decision-making 2016, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- Participation is a core human rights principle, as well as a basic condition of democratic societies. Participation allows individuals to play a central role in their own development, as well as in the development of their communities. People have a right to participate in decisions that affect their lives, including those concerning their rights. The active and informed participation of different groups, including women, children, older persons, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities, is not only consistent with but is also a requisite of a human rights-based approach. It ensures active citizenship, good governance and social accountability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities constitute 15 per cent of the world population, approximately one billion people. Many of them require different forms of support, including for basic day-to-day activities such as getting up, bathing, dressing and eating. The sustained ageing of the global population, particularly in high-income countries, has also had a substantial impact on the demand for disability-related support, as older persons tend to be overrepresented in the disability community. Other sociopolitical factors such as conflict and migration increase the demand for support, as support networks tend to fall apart in such situations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- The Convention challenges traditional approaches to care and has the potential to redress the legacy of disempowerment and paternalism. Furthermore, the notion of support in the Convention also has the potential to override traditional understandings of care and assistance for other groups, such as older persons and children. The Convention restores the importance of the "human being" in the human rights discourse by emphasizing the individual and social aspects of the human experience. These innovations can and should be incorporated into the implementation of all existing human rights instruments.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Access to rights-based support for persons with disabilities 2017, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Older persons with disabilities also have difficulties in accessing support arrangements for daily life, such as personal assistance, assisted living arrangements and palliative care. While families are the most common source of support for older persons with disabilities in most countries, there is an increasing demand for institutional care, especially from family members and other informal supporters of persons with dementia, which is increasing the risk of institutionalization among older persons with disabilities. Importantly, older women with disabilities are more likely to be institutionalized owing to the different life expectancies of men and women. The provision of in-home support services, including personal assistance and help with household chores, can avoid institutionalization and improve the quality of life of older persons by enabling them to stay at home (see A/HRC/30/43, para. 72).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Women have a longer life expectancy and are particularly exposed to neglect and abuse in older age, including in health-care settings, and higher risks of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. A gender- and age-sensitive approach needs to take into account the specific needs for care and protection of older women, including those widowed, living alone or displaced, those with dementia or other disability, those in need of palliative and geriatric care and those in emergency situations; these women are most at risk of multiple forms of discrimination, violence and poverty.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- In addition, problems associated with ageing affect women disproportionally as a result of the cumulative effect of discriminatory practices women face over the course of their lives, as the Working Group described in its report on discrimination against women in economic and social life (A/HRC/26/39). Women are more likely to take care of men and to be left without spousal support. At the same time, they are more likely to suffer economic disadvantages, exacerbated by discriminatory pension systems that fail to produce equal outcomes for women, and to be excluded from social security and health insurance schemes. They are thus at greater risk of living in poverty. The mere recognition of equal rights for all, without distinction, is thus insufficient to ensure in practice the enjoyment by older women of all human rights, including the right to health.
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 105d (vi)
- Paragraph text
- [The Working Group recommends that States:] Adopt a holistic approach towards women's health and safety by looking at their full life cycle from childhood to old age as interconnected phases with distinct considerations and needs, and in this regard: Provide adequate nutrition and free services for pregnant and lactating women, as required by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women;
- Body
- Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sexual education 2010, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- From an age perspective, the Special Rapporteur has found that there is a significant gap with regard to adults, including older adults, who are not generally taken into account in States' public policies. However, recent decades have seen significant changes in adult learning, reflecting the principle of lifelong education. The Hamburg Declaration on Adult Learning, adopted under UNESCO auspices in 1997, emphasizes the importance of sexual education for adults and sets out a commitment to "enabling people to exercise their human rights, including reproductive and sexual health rights, and to develop responsible and caring attitudes".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Lifelong learning and the right to education 2016, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur recalls that the normative bases of lifelong learning exist in international human rights treaties. The Convention against Discrimination in Education (1960) lays down the obligation of States with regard to continuing education. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, adopted in 1966, includes similar provisions. According to article 13 (2) (d) of the Covenant, individuals "who have not received or completed the whole period of their primary education" have a right to fundamental education, or basic education as defined in the World Declaration on Education for All (1990). The enjoyment of the right to fundamental education is not limited by age or gender; it extends to children, young people and adults, including older persons. Fundamental education, therefore, is an integral component of adult education and lifelong learning. Because fundamental education is a right of all age groups, curricula and delivery systems suitable for students of all ages must be devised.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Lifelong learning and the right to education 2016, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur commends the SkillsFuture credit, launched in Singapore to promote lifelong learning. Given to every Singaporean aged 25 years and older, it covers nearly 2.5 million citizens in the country. The first credit amounts to $500, with the proviso that the Government will top it up at regular intervals in future. The credit can be used for a wide range of courses. Already, there are 10,000 courses, in areas ranging from basic computing to web design, digital animation, human resources management, finance, health care and languages. The courses are provided at publicly funded tertiary institutions, as well as by private providers. The Government will provide employers with subsidies of 70 to 90 per cent when they train their employees. The credit is provided on top of SkillsFuture study awards in various fields. For example, for all Singaporeans aged 40 years and older, 90 per cent of the costs of their courses will be funded.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women’s right and the right to food 2013, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The right to social security, as guaranteed under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, includes access to health care; benefits and services to persons without work-related income due to sickness, disability, maternity, employment injury, unemployment, old age or death of a family member, including contributory or non-contributory pensions for all older persons; family and child support sufficient to cover food, clothing, housing, water and sanitation; survivor and orphan benefits. The Special Rapporteur observes that, in many cases, the specific situation of women is not considered in the design and implementation of programmes. Three examples may serve to illustrate this.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Women’s right and the right to food 2013, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- A first requirement is breaking the cycle of discrimination against women. This does not mean simply removing discriminatory provisions in the law, particularly as regards access to land or other productive resources, but it also requires that the structural causes of de facto discrimination be addressed. In particular, measures should be taken to relieve women of the burden imposed on them by the duties they assume in the "care" economy, and to improve their economic opportunities by better access to education and employment. Older women are particularly at risk of food insecurity as the cumulative effect of discrimination in accessing employment tends to leave older women with disproportionately lower (or no) incomes and pensions in later life; yet older women are expected to take care of other, more dependent members of the household.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision of the mandate 2014, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- In its general comment No. 12 (1999) on the right to adequate food, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights defined the necessary elements required for the right to food (i.e., the possibility either to feed oneself directly from productive land or other natural resources, or to purchase food) as follows: (a) availability; (b) accessibility; and (c) adequacy. Availability relates to the presence of sufficient food on the market to meet population needs. Accessibility refers to both physical and economic access: physical accessibility means that food should be accessible to all persons, including the physically vulnerable, such as children, older persons and persons with a disability; economic accessibility means that food should be affordable without compromising other basic needs, such as education, health care or housing. Adequacy requires that food satisfy dietary needs (factoring in a person's age, living conditions, health, occupation, sex and so on), be safe for human consumption, free of adverse substances, culturally acceptable and nutritious.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The implementation of the right to social protection through the adoption of social protection floors 2014, para. 23d
- Paragraph text
- [At the international level, definitional issues continue to be controversial, especially in terms of whether social protection floors should be seen as a matter of human rights and whether they should be universal and unconditional. Before examining those dimensions, it is appropriate to take note of the approach reflected in ILO recommendation No. 202. As the culmination of many initiatives, both within and well beyond the ILO context, it has become the principal benchmark against which social protection floors should be designed, implemented and evaluated. The main elements of recommendation No. 202 are as follows:] Social protection floors should include at least basic social security guarantees for health care and also for income security for children, older persons and those unable to work, in particular in cases of sickness, unemployment, maternity, and disability;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Integrating a gender perspective in the right to food 2016, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Girls and women suffer from discrimination in relation to their right to food at all stages in life. In many countries, females receive less food than their male partners, due to a lower social status. In extreme cases, a preference for male children may lead to female infanticide, including by deprivation of food. Some mothers stop breastfeeding girls prematurely in order to try and get pregnant with a male, which could increase risks of infection and other risks if impure water is used with formula. Similar discrimination applies to older women who tend to be less literate than older men, in many parts of the world; this limits women's employability, participation and voice in community development activities and makes them less likely to be able to provide for themselves.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Girls
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- States should take measures to ensure that older persons receive age-friendly health care of a quality commensurate with that of other age groups. Examples of improved quality goods, services and facilities for older people would include greater numbers of geriatricians and improved training in geriatrics across all specialties to ensure that needs of older persons are recognised and attended to. There is also a need for improved communication across specialties, including allied health professions such as dentists, pharmacists etc in order to adequately address the treatment needs of older persons with multiple chronic illnesses.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- General comment No. 14 notes that the right to health should be understood in broader terms, which include the underlying determinants of health, such as access to water and sanitation, food and nutrition, education and housing. An example of this would be the sub-optimal nutrition of older persons, which is commonly linked to circumstances under which older persons are isolated, immobile and live in poverty. Education is another relevant determinant for the health of older persons. A recent study in the United States of America showed that older persons with limited literacy had a higher risk of death, compared to those with adequate literacy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- International human rights law proscribes discrimination and ensures equality on a number of grounds and for a variety of groups, including older persons. Older persons are further identified by general comment No. 14 as a group especially vulnerable to violations. Treaty bodies, including CESCR, have identified older persons as a vulnerable or marginalized group, one that is potentially more susceptible to discrimination and violence. According to general comment No. 14, it is important to ensure the functionality and autonomy of older persons (E/C.12/2000/4, para. 25). This implies promotion of individual choice with respect to models of care, insofar as this is possible.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Older women are often more disadvantaged because they may suffer from a combination of both gender and age discrimination. Ageing women make up a significant proportion of the world's population, with the majority of older women living in developing countries. A number of life-course events adversely affect the health of women in older age, including discrimination against infant girls in the provision of food and care, barriers to education, low incomes and poorer access to decent work, care-giving responsibilities as mothers and wives, domestic violence (during childhood, adulthood and elder abuse), widowhood, and cultural traditions and attitudes towards health care. Lower incomes, disruptions to work due to family responsibilities, and discrimination in access to the labour force during women's working life mean that women often have less retirement savings and are therefore more financially vulnerable in older age.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Chronic illnesses and disability increase in prevalence with advancing age. Around half of deaths due to non-communicable diseases occur in persons aged over 70. It is estimated that 35.6 million people lived with dementia worldwide in 2010, which will increase to 65.7 million by 2030 and to 115.4 million by 2050. In light of the increasing proportion of the population who are elderly, it becomes vital that these conditions are managed in an equitable and resource-effective manner. Health systems throughout the world are generally designed to deal with acute medical conditions. They have struggled to re-model and adapt to prevent or manage the increasing number of chronic illnesses. One should also note the importance of the use of evidence-based guidelines and establishment of minimum standards of health care for common chronic conditions, and integration of their management into primary health care.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights reiterated that primary health care essentially falls under the core obligations accrued by States in fulfilling the right to health (E/C.12/2000/4, para. 43). General Comment 14 places special emphasis on the care of older persons as a vulnerable group, which requires an "integrated approach combining elements of a preventative, curative, and rehabilitative health treatment" (ibid, para. 25). It also specifies that such measures ought to include periodic check-ups and measures aimed at maintaining physical and psychological functionality. Thus, the right to health requires a constellation of activities, programs, and interventions to address primary health care of older persons as a core obligation under that right. Improving availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of primary care is essential in particular in achieving better results in the management of chronic illnesses.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Access to primary healthcare services is also impeded by both physical and financial obstacles. Healthcare facilities might be situated too far from older persons' place of residence, with transport proving to be too expensive, inadequate, or simply unavailable. Compounding this problem is the limited mobility of older persons. They may be unable to drive, have no access to transportation, or have physical impairments that reduce their movement. Physical difficulties to access health for older persons are further reinforced by their socio-economic vulnerability, especially as access to health care is often subject to receiving a pension or to paying out-of-pocket fees. Living in poverty can also be a root cause of deterioration of older persons' health: with limited access to safe drinking water or adequate nutrition, older persons face a high risk of contracting diseases. Even where health services are accessible to older persons, they are not always adapted to their needs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Although the growth of the older population is affecting the whole world, most of the increase is taking place in the developing world. More than half of the elderly (400 million) live in Asia, while Europe is the region with the second-largest number of older persons (nearly 161 million), followed by North America (65 million), Latin America and the Caribbean (59 million), Africa (55 million) and Oceania (5 million). On average, it is estimated that 29 million older persons will be added to the world's population each year between 2010 and 2025, and over 80 per cent of those will be added in the developing countries. By 2050, it is further projected that around 80 per cent of the elderly will live in the developing world.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur considers these compelling figures a harbinger of a quiet demographic revolution. It owes much to the significant gains achieved in many areas which have substantially increased longevity but will have far-reaching and unpredictable consequences for all countries, developed and developing alike. A rapidly ageing population presents significant challenges for the global community, in a world that is already affected by various social, economic, cultural and political challenges. The immediate consequences of longer life expectancy include increases in the prevalence of chronic and non-communicable diseases and disabilities, which, if unaddressed, could place significant burdens on health systems, strain pension and social security systems, increase demand for primary health care and put pressure on the availability and affordability of long-term care.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- Developing countries will be predominantly affected by the resulting epidemiological transition, when non-communicable diseases amongst older persons increase. The broader population will however continue to struggle with communicable diseases, particularly infectious diseases and other illnesses related to poverty. Developing age-friendly services and settings, and promotion of health care and preventive medicine among older persons will strengthen the efforts of developing countries to deal with the complications of chronic and terminal non-communicable illnesses. In order to address the challenge adequately, it is essential for States to prepare themselves to meet the needs of older persons, train health professionals in old-age care, and formulate sustainable policies for long-term care.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph