Title: As children survive: dilemmas of aging in the developing world.

POPLINE Document Number: 162392

Author(s):

Bicknell WJ
Parks CL

Source citation:

Social Science and Medicine, 1989;28(1):59-67.

Abstract:

Developing countries have supported many programs that help reduce infant mortality, but currently a new problem is emerging: an older population with chronic non-infectious diseases. These areas are currently in demographic transition where population growth is slowing and where there is less money per capita. 57 countries have per capita GNPs of less than $1000 and as a result must ration health care services. Rural-to-urban migration, industrialization, and the breakup of the family, in addition to financial difficulties all impede efforts to treat chronic disease. Lower cost alternative methods of care must be investigated and implemented. Prevention is the mainstay of health care, so more funds should be invested in preventative care. It is difficult to implement prevention in developing countries because of ingrained habits and behavior patterns. No matter how much prevention is practiced, chronic diseases such as glaucoma, breast cancer, hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and arthritis will appear. Correcting these diseases will be very costly. Productive research is a must, but it must be focused on relevant problems and based on reasonable models. Programs that are planned from research results must be country-specific in order to be effective. Donors should be alerted to this new need and may decide to step in and guide these programs. Transplantation of the new technologies of developed countries tend to overlook available resources and finances. This problem is small and new, so there is time to carefully plan for the future.

Keywords:

Demographic Impact
Developing Countries
Older Adults
Chronic Diseases
Population Projection
Population Dynamics
Demographic Aging
Population Characteristics
Preventive Medicine
Health Facilities
Delivery of Health Care
Health and Welfare Planning
Health Services
Resources
Needs
Planning
Recommendations
Demographic Factors
Population
Adults
Age Factors
Diseases
Estimation Technics
Research Methodology
Medicine
Health
Social Planning
Economic Factors
Organization and Administration