Europeans over 65 will outnumber those under 15 next year

The World Health Organisation's report said that the covid-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of older adults and drew attention to existing gaps in policies, systems and services. File picture

The number of people over 65 will overtake those under 15 in Europe next year, according to projections from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The shift will bring "new social, economic and health challenges" in order to make the best of an ageing population, it said.

Currently, life expectancy in the WHO European Region is rising faster than healthy life years, its new report said. By around 2050, population trends suggest that the number of people aged 65 and over will increase by up to 25%, eventually outnumbering those under 25.

Europe has the highest average life expectancy for women among the continents and third highest for men after North America and Oceania, the report said.

"Living longer may seem a good thing, but the number of people who can enjoy the last 15–20 years of their life in good physical and mental health differs within and between countries. If life expectancy continues to rise as predicted and healthy life years do not increase at the same rate, people will spend even longer periods in ill health in the future," it warned.

Physical activity and the quality of food are "pivotal" for older people, the WHO Europe's new report said. Among other recommendations, it emphasised diets high in fruits and vegetables and low in ultra-processed foods, citing the Mediterranean diet as a good example.

A minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 28%, it said, adding that extra activities that maintain balance, mobility and reduce loss of muscle mass and bone density are recommended.  Engaging in even higher levels of physical activity can reduce the risk of all-cause mortality by 35%, it said.

The report said that the covid-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of older adults and drew attention to existing gaps in policies, systems and services.

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"The decline in the number and share of the working-age population and the increasing proportion of older adults have profound implications for governments, policy-makers and businesses, and lead to challenges for pension, health-care delivery and long-term care costs," the report said.

Globally, there is little evidence that older people today are in better health than previous generations, the WHO warned. "Good health in older age is not distributed equally, either between or within countries," the report said.

It cited Ireland's Age & Opportunity Active programme as one of the best examples of public–private partnership for healthy ageing. Age & Opportunity, which was founded in 1988 in order to advocate for older citizens, was hailed by the WHO for its Active programme.

"The programme successfully ran several initiatives, including the Go for Life Games...funded by Sport Ireland and the HSE. Teams from all over Ireland come together to take part in a national day of sport in June every year. 

"Other initiatives include a telephone mentoring service called Fitline that encourages callers to start getting more active, a very popular education and peer-leadership programme that trains older people to lead sport and activity sessions in their local groups and communities, and the Azure network, comprising art institutions with specialised staff who provide guided tours for older adults living with dementia," it said.