Colombo Declaration unites South-East Asia for healthy ageing

UNITING around the goal of promoting healthy ageing, Health Ministers of member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) South East Asia Region adopted the Colombo Declaration on Tuesday.

- BY DIVYA THOTAWATTE

The Colombo Declaration on 'Healthy ageing through strengthened primary health care' was endorsed by the 78th Session of the WHO Regional Committee held in Sri Lanka. It is aimed at the health and wellbeing of the ageing population of the region, and this approach and focus will be adopted by countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, North Korea, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor Leste.

This initiative was taken in recognition of the region's rapid demographic shift, with the population aged 60 years and above protected to nearly double, from 11.3% in 2024 to 20.9% in 2050. Ministers emphasised that this demographic shift was both a reflection of progress and a call to adapt health systems to new realities.

"Older people are rights-holders and valuable members of society, and that optimising intrinsic capacity and functional ability across the life-course is central to achieving healthy ageing,' the statement affirms.

The Colombo Declaration outlines 10 core commitments:

1. Embed healthy ageing in national policies and primary health care (PHC)- oriented