WHO launches portal for global data on the health and well-being of older people

On the International Day of Older Persons (October 1st, https://www.un.org/en/observances/older-persons-day), the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the first data portal that brings together in one place data on global indicators for monitoring the health and well-being of people aged 60 and over.

Data is included for indicators such as: percentage of older people aged 60 years and over; healthy life expectancy at age 60; major causes of death in older people; prevalence of common impairments such as hearing and vision loss;  percentage of older people receiving long-term care in residential facilities and in their home; and the percentage of older people living in an age-friendly environment. Also included are indicators for tracking the progress of government commitments to promote the health and well-being of older adults. Through maps, charts and tables, the portal offers tailored options for visualization and analysis of the data.

During the Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030, https://www.who.int/initiatives/decade-of-healthy-ageing), endorsed by the World Health Assembly in August 2020, the portal will remain a gateway for accessing all global data related to older persons produced by WHO, other international organizations such as the UNDESA, the ILO, the World Bank and the OECD, as well as academic institutions such as the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

This information will strengthen the visibility of issues relating to the health and well-being of older people and should ultimately help inform and drive action for national policies and plans to support healthy ageing.

The portal is available at https://www.who.int/data/maternal-newborn-child-adolescent-ageing/ageing-data.