India ranked 73 out of 91 countries in caring for the elderly

India ranks a poor 73 out of 91 countries when it comes to providing quality life for the aged, said a report released in New Delhi on Tuesday on the International Day of Older Persons.

By: Agencies | | Published: October 2, 2013 3:09 pm

India ranks a poor 73 out of 91 countries when it comes to providing quality life for the aged, said a report released in New Delhi on Tuesday on the International Day of Older Persons. Also Read - Ganesh Chaturthi 2020: 4 reasons an eco-friendly Ganesha is good for you

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The ‘Global Age Watch Index’ by HelpAge International calculated the geometric mean of four domains – income security, health status, employment and education and enabling environment. Also Read - Your body clock can have an impact on your ageing process and activities

India fairs poorly in all four domains: health status ranking is 85, employment and education ranking is 73. Similarly, enabling environment ranking is 72 though it fairs a bit better when it comes to income security with a ranking of 54, said the report.

‘Health is a major concern area in India, with low levels of public spending. Between 196-97 and 205-06, the total government spending on health was stagnant at about one percent of the gross domestic product,’ said Mathew Cherian, chief executive officer of HelpAge India.

‘Despite efforts to increase public spending after 2005-06 including the adoption of national rural health mission, the expenditure has increased only marginally to 1.2 percent of gross domestic product in 2009-10,’ added Cherian.

Though ranked amongst the lowest, India has done better than its neighbours – Nepal ranked 77, Pakistan, 89 and Afghanistan, 91 with the only exception of Sri Lanka which has performed exceptionally well and has been ranked 36.

‘The aim of the report is to state the hard facts facing the world today. Many developing countries are facing a tough time to meet the required standards globally with a burgeoning ageing population,’ said the report. (Read: International Day of Older Persons: Living old age with dignity)

Fighting the stigma of old age

Unfortunately, the ones who have laid the foundation for the society we live in face stigma in the form of abuse, neglect, insufficient care, etc. mostly due to financial reasons. Sensitizing our youth to their problems, developing a society that is considerate for them and promoting healthy living among our youth so that they don t face problems during their old age are some of the things that can be done.

With inputs from IANS

Published : October 2, 2013 3:09 pm

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