Achieving UHC fit for an ageing world

By 2030, 1.4 billion people will be aged 60 and over. Yet the majority of health and care systems worldwide remain unprepared for population ageing and associated rises in rates non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and disabilities. This is particularly true in low- and middle-income countries where the majority of older people live.  

Today, millions of older people in these countries are unable to access the services they need or are pushed into poverty doing so. Meanwhile, critical opportunities for promoting healthy ageing across the life-course are being missed. 

HelpAge’s UHC fit for an ageing world framework outlines the barriers older people in LMICs face to enjoying their right to health – including those related to the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of services, as well as ageism and age discrimination in their funding, design and delivery. It then presents a framework setting out the actions that governments and health actors at all levels must take to ensure models of UHC meet the needs and uphold the rights of all older people whilst promoting health ageing across the life-course. This will ensure we reap the benefits of longer, healthier lives for people, systems and societies.