The Higher Population Council (HPC) on Thursday called for revising the national definition of elderly age group.
On the occasion of the International Day of Older Person, the council said in a statement that Jordan has witnessed a remarkable increase in the average life expectancy at birth since 1961, according to reports issued by the Department of Statistics.
According to the statement, the life span increased by 19.3 years (from 54 years in 1961 to 73.3 years in 2019), driven by a remarkable improvement in the living and health conditions of the population, which reflected positively on the chances of survival. This positive trend, the council indicated, requires reconsidering the definition of the elderly to incorporate these productive years into national legislation, strategies and policies.
This year’s celebration comes under the theme “Digital Equality for All Age Groups”, with the aim of highlighting the need to enable the elderly to access and meaningfully participate in the digital world, the statement said.
The HPC recommended continuing to issue reports on the condition of the elderly, and following up on the implementation of the 2018-2022 Jordanian National Strategy for Senior Citizens, in addition to evaluating the activities included in the strategy’s operational plan, which highlights the achievements and obstacles facing institutions in providing services to this age group.
The council also stressed the importance of boosting health services and preventing diseases, providing technology and rehabilitation by training employees on elder care, and raising awareness on the importance of preventive and curative care.
According to Abla Amawi, Secretary-General of the council, the World Health Organization defines the elderly as “those who have reached the age of 60 and over.” The organization said that the share of the population aged 60 and over will double from 12 percent in 2015 to 22 percent in 2050, and that 80 percent of this group lives in medium and low-income areas.
The 2020 estimates of the Department of Statistics indicate that the elderly constitute 5.4 percent of the total population of the Kingdom. National projections show that the proportion of the elderly in Jordan (60 years and over) will increase by 7.7 percent and 13.5 percent of the total population for the years 2030 and 2050, respectively.
Source: Jordan News Agency