Reports, working papers, policy briefs and other publications

This paper presents the Asian Active Ageing Index (AAI), with a focus on countries in South-East Asia, especially Indonesia and Thailand. It also seeks to recommend the Index for use by other countries of the Asian and Pacific region by adapting it to the Asia-Pacific context and taking into consideration factors such as the role of older persons in the society, changing norms and the informal nature of contributions of older persons to their families and communities. A review of the literature and various theoretical frameworks is presented to provide context to the development of the Asian AAI, while it is noted that the Asian AAI revisits the choice of indicators and revises the aggregation methods previously used in the European Union version of the AAI. Subsequently, the Asia AAI is explained, and the results are presented from applying it to Indonesia and Thailand across a wide array of parameters, yielding overall values as well as those specific to certain domains, such as such as employment, social participation and independent living. The paper concludes with a discussion on the Index and its application and a series of policy recommendations focusing on the domains of healthy ageing, financial security and enabling environment for active ageing.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a clarion call to leave no one behind. Older persons are among the groups in society most at risk of facing such a fate. In this context, the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing provides a comprehensive framework for building inclusive societies, detailing how to ensure the participation, care, and dignity of older persons. To support this process in the Asia-Pacific region, the 2013 Asian and Pacific Ministerial Declaration on Population and Development calls on member States to “Strengthen health and social protection systems to prepare for and respond to the needs of older persons … by providing an integrated continuum of care, including … long-term care and end-of-life care, and palliative care” (para 159).
In Asia and the Pacific, the number of older persons aged 60 and above is projected to more than double from 572 million in 2017 to almost 1.3 billion in 2050. Rapid population ageing in the region, combined with changing family patterns and gender roles, has increased demand for long- term care (LTC)1 for older persons.
This policy brief highlights financing options for LTC for older persons, with a focus on examples from the Asia-Pacific region. It builds on analytical studies conducted by ESCAP on LTC in China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore and Sri Lanka

The rapid increase of the number of older persons, particularly the oldest-old - those above 80 years - increases the need for long-term care of older persons in the Asia-Pacific region. This working paper series examines the prevailing system of provision and financing of long-term care for older persons in selected countries in the Asia-Pacific region.