Does getting older decrease access to health care?

Today, 12 December 2018, marks Universal Health Coverage Day.

Currently, at least half of the world’s population does not receive the essential health services they need (WHO, 2018). Universal Health Coverage ensures all individuals around the world are able to access sufficient health services without having to face financial hardships to pay for them.

“Health is a human right. No one should get sick and die just because they are poor, or because they cannot access the health services they need.” - Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, WHO

Population ageing is changing the structure and economy of societies around the world, placing increased demands on health care services. The vision of the International Federation on Ageing is a world of healthy older people whose rights and choices are both protected and respected, yet millions of older people are living without access to healthcare services they require, denying their right to health.

The 2018 Global Age Watch Report, released today by AARP and HelpAge International, ranks 96 countries according to the wellbeing of older people, and emphasizes the need for health care systems to adapt to the ageing population.

Contact IFA Expert Dr. Debra Whitman, Chief Public Policy Officer for AARP for further information on the Global Age Watch Report, and support Universal Health Coverage Day by sharing the message on social media using the hashtag #HealthForAll.