According to the Public Relations and International Affairs report, Aina Siliteva stated at the unveiling ceremony of the elderly-friendly environment that the world is currently facing a significant demographic change that has been created by the impact of increasing life expectancy and decreasing fertility rates, and added: "With the increase in human lifespan, the number of elderly people is increasing rapidly, and the share of these people in the global population is increasing. At the same time, we are facing the phenomenon of feminization of aging all over the world."
She continued: “According to United Nations projections, the percentage of the population over 65 will increase from 10 percent in 2022 to 16 percent in 2050; this phenomenon is not just a statistical change, but also represents a fundamental transformation.” Elsewhere she stated that in the Asia-Pacific region, almost every country has faced this age transition, he added: “Therefore, according to data from the Statistical Center of Iran, more than 10 percent of the Iranian population is 60 years old and above, and this proportion will more than double in the next 20 years. This change requires comprehensive action in all sectors of society to ensure that the elderly are not marginalized, but are supported.”
“The collective efforts in Iran to promote age-friendly cities are a powerful example of how national strategies, supported by international partnerships and partnerships such as those of the United Nations Population Fund, can make a profound difference in the lives of older people,” she noted.
She added that over the years, the United Nations Population Fund in Iran has supported the Iranian government’s efforts to promote healthy aging, in line with national priorities, and one of the joint activities is promoting healthy aging through the creation of age-friendly environments.
Dr. Taghizadeh, the representative of the World Health Organization in Iran, said at the unveiling ceremony of the age-friendly environment: "Despite the fact that life expectancy has increased to over 75 years, between 2000 and 2019, we see a huge difference between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy; this difference is always increasing, and healthy life expectancy is lower for women than for men. During the coronavirus outbreak, this trend worsened and this gap increased."
Stating that healthy aging and respect for the elderly are among the goals for 2021 to 2030, with four major policies including age-friendly environments, combating discrimination against the elderly, integrating services related to the elderly, and providing long-term care facilities, the representative of the World Health Organization in Iran noted: "We have a network of age-friendly cities in the world, with more than 70 member countries and now more than 330 million people covered by these spaces."
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