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Prof. Zhao Yaohui: Being Proactive Holds the Key to Healthy Aging

May 24-2023   



In a recent interview with The Lancet, Prof. Zhao Yaohui of the NSD analyzed the major issues besetting healthy aging and called for multi-dimensional, all-round solutions.

 

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China had over 200 million elderly people aged 65 and above by the end of 2021, or around 14% of its total population - a sign of heavy aging. Compounded by a declining birth rate and aided by longer life expectancy, China’s population is expected to age further, with those older than 65 to take up one third of overall population by 2050, according to a UN agency.

 

A slowing economy, a pension system in deficit, and a tight medicare account have prodded the government to attach more importance to population aging, elevating it to national strategy backed up by a plethora of policies.

 

Healthy aging is hamstrung by various factors, including a high incidence of chronic diseases, poor mental health of senior residents, and low cognitive capability among the old people. Glaring gaps exist between rural and urban areas and between genders. Prof. Zhao advocated improving people’s health from a whole-lifecycle perspective, beginning with early interventions to ensure nutrition for babies, enhance educational levels and help people form healthy habits. With regard to the elderly, efforts should be made to enable them to take care of themselves. The senior residents should also have access to high-quality health care, which can be achieved through the development of general practice and grass-roots medical services.

 

In the economic sphere, the health of old people is positively correlated to their financial conditions. Those in the rural areas tend to subject to low economic security, which adversely affect their physical and mental health. Prof. Zhao believed that more forceful reform is needed to address the regional fragmentation of healthcare and low reimbursement rates for nonlocal healthcare claims.

 

Besides government policies, senior residents should proactively safeguard their own health through good habits and regular medical checks, said Prof. Zhao. What they should also do is actively participate in social and economic activities such as staying in employment, volunteering, taking care of young children and enjoying entertainment.

 

In future, the society should help children to care for their aging parents, so that the children don’t have to be fully responsible for the duty. Compared with nursing homes, spending the old age at home is a relatively low-cost solution that many local governments have been exploring, including through subsidies. Prof. Zhao believed that a sustainable path ought to be identified in the absence of subsidies.

 

Prof. Zhao Yaohui: Being Proactive Holds the Key to Healthy Aging

May 24-2023   



In a recent interview with The Lancet, Prof. Zhao Yaohui of the NSD analyzed the major issues besetting healthy aging and called for multi-dimensional, all-round solutions.

 

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China had over 200 million elderly people aged 65 and above by the end of 2021, or around 14% of its total population - a sign of heavy aging. Compounded by a declining birth rate and aided by longer life expectancy, China’s population is expected to age further, with those older than 65 to take up one third of overall population by 2050, according to a UN agency.

 

A slowing economy, a pension system in deficit, and a tight medicare account have prodded the government to attach more importance to population aging, elevating it to national strategy backed up by a plethora of policies.

 

Healthy aging is hamstrung by various factors, including a high incidence of chronic diseases, poor mental health of senior residents, and low cognitive capability among the old people. Glaring gaps exist between rural and urban areas and between genders. Prof. Zhao advocated improving people’s health from a whole-lifecycle perspective, beginning with early interventions to ensure nutrition for babies, enhance educational levels and help people form healthy habits. With regard to the elderly, efforts should be made to enable them to take care of themselves. The senior residents should also have access to high-quality health care, which can be achieved through the development of general practice and grass-roots medical services.

 

In the economic sphere, the health of old people is positively correlated to their financial conditions. Those in the rural areas tend to subject to low economic security, which adversely affect their physical and mental health. Prof. Zhao believed that more forceful reform is needed to address the regional fragmentation of healthcare and low reimbursement rates for nonlocal healthcare claims.

 

Besides government policies, senior residents should proactively safeguard their own health through good habits and regular medical checks, said Prof. Zhao. What they should also do is actively participate in social and economic activities such as staying in employment, volunteering, taking care of young children and enjoying entertainment.

 

In future, the society should help children to care for their aging parents, so that the children don’t have to be fully responsible for the duty. Compared with nursing homes, spending the old age at home is a relatively low-cost solution that many local governments have been exploring, including through subsidies. Prof. Zhao believed that a sustainable path ought to be identified in the absence of subsidies.