Are we ready to meet the needs of Malaysia's fast ageing population?

inadequet services and support for seniors arise when a country isn’t prepared for its ageing population. Photo: AFP

There are officially more elderly persons than young people in the world today. Last year, those aged 65 and above surpassed those aged 15 and below, for the first time ever. It’s the same in Malaysia; our demographic will also change and we will become an ageing population by 2030, when 15% of our population will be aged 60 and above.

This demographic shift is a good thing, says Universiti Malaya public health specialist Assoc Prof Dr Noran Mohd Hairi.“Population ageing isn’t something to be mourned. Rather, it should be celebrated because it speaks of our public health success and advances in medicine which have led to longer life expectancies, declining fertility and maternal mortality rates,” said Dr Noran.