Promoting healthy ageing in the Western Pacific Region - implications for health expenditure trends and economic growth

Overview

This report was developed by the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, in collaboration with the WHO Centre for Health Development (WHO Kobe Centre) and the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO).

In this report we explore how population ageing may affect public health spending and economic growth in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region and how future trends may change if people age in better health. We also explore potential strategies that can be adopted to help promote healthy ageing across the region. The strategies outlined align with the objectives and recommended actions of the Regional Action Plan on Healthy Ageing in the Western Pacific, which was endorsed at the seventy-first Regional Committee Meeting in November 2020. The action plan aims to support Member States to improve the health and well-being of older populations in the Region so they can thrive and play an active role in society.