The WHO perspective on active ageing

This paper presents the perspectives of the WHO on active aging. The WHO responded to global aging by establishing a comprehensive Programme on Ageing and Health (AHE) in April 1995. With AHE several of the WHO’s perspectives were incorporated which include a life course of aging rather than compartmentalizing the health care of the elderly health promotion which focuses on active aging provision of a supportive environment socioeconomic and cultural perspective gender perspective intergenerational perspective ethical perspective and a community-oriented perspective. These perspectives are taken into account in the four major program components: information dissemination capacity building through research and training advocacy and policy development. Through the implementation of these four program components AHE is developing a well focused global strategy on Active Ageing with a large number of partners--including governmental agencies nongovernmental organizations academic institutions and the media. By adopting the definition of Active Ageing of the Ministry of Health of Canada AHE will be able to achieve its endeavor in ensuring the quality of life among those who survived.