Ageing Societies key transformation in the 21 st Century Economic Security and Social Protection for Older Persons Jeffrey James HelpAge International

Demographic change Irreversible in nature Condensed in time Comprehensive in scope

Rapid ageing time taken to increase the proportion of older people from 7% to 20%

Rapid Ageing There are more people over 60 than children under 5 By 2030 people aged 60 and over will outnumber children under 10 12% of Caribbean population 60+ Ageing well is a universal concern that is relevant for all ages Ageing is a key driver of non-communicable diseases

Ageing impacts all spheres of life No other force is likely to shape the social and economic policies in the 21 st Century as ageing societies

Economic Security Social insurance programmes in place Coverage varies across the region Significant sections of the older population do not receive a contributory pension People in the informal sector largely excluded

Inadequate Income Many older people do not have a reliable source of income Only few countries have social/old age pensions in place Family is the main source of income security for older people in the Caribbean Many older people still work to support themselves, but are denied access to micro- credit

Public Assistance and Social Pension in Select Countries CountryPublic Assistance Old Age Pension Monthly Figure US$ Antigua√95 Barbados√276 Belize Dominica √√√√ √50 37 Grenada√74 Guyana√50 Jamaica√15 St Vincent√√66 Suriname√151 Trinidad and Tobago √325

Inadequate Income

Health systems and ageing Transition from infectious diseases to Non-communicable diseases (Chronic)

Health – Main Chronic illnesses common to OP – Hypertension, – Diabetes, – Arthritis – Other illnesses: – - Alzheimer’s disease – - Cancer – - Hearing loss – -Heart disease and heart attack – - Vision loss

In short We are living the success of Cairo 1994 Population challenges in 2014 are different All countries are ageing as an irreversible trend These changes affect the core of each society

Actions Going Forward The Cairo vision must acknowledge the demographic transition from young to old Uphold the rights based approach to development, thus ensuring the enjoyment of rights throughout the life course Sexual and reproductive health rights must be affirmed through the life cycle, hence including older women in all reproductive health programmes

Enjoyment of Rights Throughout the Life Course

Actions Going Forward Ensure secure and dignified lives in old age through social protection floors across the life cycle and deliver universal and equitable health care. Ensure data disaggregation by age and gender in the Cairo monitoring framework

Secure and Dignified Lives