Voices of seniors show the way to 78th WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee
Resonating were the voices of the elderly not just from Sri Lanka but also across South-East Asia, as they laid bare their concerns at a Participatory Dialogue last Sunday, to be powerfully reflected in the 'Colombo Declaration on Healthy Ageing through Strengthened Primary Health Care' adopted on Tuesday, October 14.
The declaration was adopted at the 78th Session of the WHO South-East Asia Regional Committee (RC) in Colombo, in the light of the region's rapid demographic shift, with the population aged 60 years and above, projected to nearly double, from 11.3% in 2024 to 20.9% in 2050.
Affirming that older persons are "rights-holders" and "valuable members of society", and that optimizing intrinsic capacity and functional ability across the life-course is central to achieving healthy ageing, the RC's member states, committed to embed healthy ageing in national policies and primary healthcare-oriented health systems.
This isto ensure accessible, equitable, integrated and age-responsive services across the continuum of care, from health promotion and prevention to rehabilitation, long-term care and palliative care.
The member states, among others, also committed to:
Combating ageismthrough laws, inclusive policies, public sensitization and education and inter-generational initiatives that challenge stereotypes and discrimination, while fostering respect, dignity and solidarity between generations.
Ensuring health sector leadership in multi-sectoral coordination, especially with social welfare, finance, housing, transport, education and labour, through dedicated coordination mechanisms and programmatic alignment.
Prioritizing and allocating adequate resourcesfor policies and programmes targeting older people, exploring innovative financing, public-private partnerships and cross-ministerial cost-sharing mechanisms to support financial protection and universal coverage.
Delivering integrated, right-based, person-centred and gender sensitive care for older persons tailored to their assessed needs, preferences and choices, by strengthening primary care as the first point of contact, expanding community-based services and coordinating health, well-being and social care -- including long-term care -- without imposing financial hardship.
Strengthening data systemsto collect and use age, sex and disability disaggregated information on intrinsic capacity, functional ability and access to quality health and care services to inform evidence-based policies and programmes, monitor progress on commitments made, recalibrate existing programmes and enhance accountability.
Creating inclusive age-friendly environments that support the abilities of older people through multi-sectoral collaboration in safe housing, accessible transport, social protection and inclusive community infrastructure.
Sunday's Participatory Dialogue on 'Lived realities - policy priorities: Voices of older people on healthy ageing' moderated by Consultant Community Physician Dr. Shiromi Maduwage included elderly who were present physically as well as those joining online, carers, civil society and partner organizations.
The voices came loud and clear: "We need healthcare facilities closer to our homes, as we do not have an age-friendly transport system", "We want to be active, healthy and independent in our old age" and "We don't want to overburden our caregivers".
WHO's Officer-in-Charge for South-East Asia, Dr. Catharina Boehme who attended the dialogue said: "Their testimonies powerfully underscored that ageing is not merely about adding years to life, but about adding life to years - about dignity, purpose and inclusion."
The report on the dialogue was later presented by Dr. Maduwage to the Ministerial Round Table on Healthy Ageing attended by health ministers of the member states as well as the WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Dr. Boehme. The round table was moderated by public health expert Dr. Palitha Abeykoon.
On Tuesday, at a media roundtable journalists questioned Sri Lanka's Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa about the lack of data and also the migration of health staff and their impact on the implementation of the declaration.
The Minister, conceding that there were challenges, said that measures were being taken to overcome them. Grama Niladhari Officers have been told to collect data in their divisions, while the 2024 Census has also been invaluable. The active Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) offices spread across the country also had a lot of information.
The three-day RC meeting saw the participation of health ministers from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste, while Myanmar was not present.
At the inauguration, Dr. Jayatissa pointed out that the RC is the highest decision-making body for health in this region.
"The discussions will influence the health and well-being of nearly two billion people. The agenda touches on some of the most urgent issues of our time," he said, adding that these are challenges, no country can face alone. They require solidarity, knowledge-sharing and collective action.
Sri Lanka's Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne said that "we gather here with a common vision: that every person in our region should enjoy health in its fullest sense and that no one will be left behind".
He said that the theme of the Ministerial Round Table - 'Healthy Ageing through Strengthened Primary Health Care' was both timely and critical. Primary health care is the backbone of resilience.
"We are preparing to launch the National Health and Well-being Policy and the National Health Strategic Plan for 2026-2035, outlining our commitment for the next decade, not only to improve health outcomes, but also to enhance well-being across the life course. We place primary health care at the centre of our vision," he added.
Meanwhile, among the other resolutions adopted by the member states was one to strengthen national health sector and multi-sectoral collaboration, ownership and oversight of the anti-microbial resistance (AMR) response. An estimated 4.71 million AMR-associated deaths globally in 2021 were linked to bacterial AMR, with over half of them occurring in the Asia-Pacific region.
The RC also recognized the climate crisis as an "unprecedented" public health emergency, with the member states agreeing to put health at the heart of climate action. This is to be done by utilizing evidence-informed tools tailored to local contexts to identify and address vulnerabilities.