The Ministry of Health (MOH) has adopted a national strategy draft for the health of the elderly 2030 to provide them with preventive, therapeutic and rehabilitation services in collaboration with the concerned bodies. In this respect, a workshop entitled: "National Strategy Draft for the Health of the Elderly 2018-2030" was held last Tuesday, with the participation of several concerned bodies from inside and outside the Kingdom, in a concerted efforts and joint action to meet the elderly healthy needs, physically, psychologically, mentally and socially. According to MOH, the strategy was developed in line with the local and international recommendations and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 for improving the elderly health and increasing life expectancy. The 3-day-workshop discussed the current situation of the health of the elderly, globally, regionally and locally, as well as the national strategy draft for the health of the elderly (2018-2030), and reaching an agreement with all participants concerned with the health of the elderly on an action plan to implement the national strategy.
It is noted that the health of the elderly is one of the greatest challenges facing all countries of the world as a result of world population aging and a change in the distribution of age groups, with the decrease in the percentage of age group (0-5) years and increase in the number of older people, 60 years and above. It is projected that in 2050, world older persons, over the age of 60 years, will total more than two billions.
Similar to the rest of the world, the Kingdom witnesses an increase in the number of older people. In 2000 the older people in the Kingdom, over the age of 60 years, constituted 4.8%, and according to the demographic survey 2017, they increased to 1,333,615 or 6.5%.